My Second Childhood
by Bells of Tomorrow
Summary: It's been a month since JD awoke from his accidental hypnotism, but after a seemingly harmless nap in the on-call room, Perry finds both himself and his protege in a rather familiar situation.
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: _**_Hey, everyone! I'm back, and with a sequel no less! Okay, I think it's only fair to warn you that this is going to be a rather long author's note, but I feel it's a pretty important one, so please stick with me here._

_In all honesty, I did _not_ plan on doing a sequel. I had considered the possibility of doing something along the lines of "The Lost Chapters," which would've consisted of ideas I had but couldn't fit into the time slot I allowed for "My Hypnotism." Yet, the more I thought of those ideas, the more new ones came, and suddenly I was face to face with a plot line for a sequel. I was really excited about it, but in since I'm also working on another Scrubs story as well, not to mention several one-shots, I was curious to see what all you lovely readers and reviewers thought of the idea. _

_Anyway, I just recently held a poll on my profile, and a sequel to "My Hypnotism," won by a landside. Now, that does not mean I won't be doing "My Captain" or any of the other one-shots, but it helps to know what you all are interested in and looking forward to, and your votes were very much appreciated._

_Okay, now that the insanely long author's note is over, here it is folks! The first chapter of the sequel. I hope you all enjoy. :)_

_**Disclaimer: **I own a very large nothing._

**Chapter 1:**

"JD!"

The young doctor turned where he stood and smiled. It had been a whole month since he babysat his mentor's son, and what a month it had been! The girls' names had completely and utterly vanished, just like Perry said they would before JD had fallen asleep on the older man's couch. Well, okay…the first couple of days after were clearly harder for Perry. Not that Dr. Cox wasn't willing to stop with the girls' names, but it had become such a habit by then that JD had often heard his mentor begin a sentence with, "Susa – I mean, Newbie. Come." The brunette actually found this more amusing than bothersome. It was the effort that mattered, and Perry's obvious attempt at kicking the customary name calling did not go unappreciated.

"Yeah, Dr. Cox?"

Perry rolled his eyes at his protégé's increasingly wide smile. A whole month since he had admitted to caring for JD, and the kid still glowed whenever he called him by his first name. "I need you to go get blood cultures on Mrs. Faust."

"Can do, Per-Per!"

"Newbie…"

"Perry. Right. On my way."

Dr. Cox watched as JD practically skipped away as he went to follow orders. Perry just shook his head as he brought his attention back to the chart before him. It really had been quite an interesting month. After multiple times of reminding himself _not_ to call his protégé by the usual girls' name, he finally found himself comfortable enough to call him JD, even if he did mainly stick with calling him Newbie.

The two had actually hung out a couple of times as well. Nothing big to the every day observer, but in comparison to the strained relationship of suppressed parental instincts and emotions, something so simple as going out for a beer after work was a huge thing; for the both of them. Though at least Dr. Cox did a better job at hiding how big of an event it really was, while JD had not been able to contain himself from babbling. He made the kid promise to relax if the two were ever to go out for drinks again. Which was stupid, because even Perry knew he'd end up taking him out again anyway, but the young doctor promised to calm down, and surprisingly enough, he had.

Of course, Dr. Cox was still Dr. Cox. He still got angry, he still ranted, he still did all the things that JD enjoyed describing as "Coxian," but at least with Newbie, his rants were often much shorter. And on the days that Perry seemed to be on overload – stress from work, stress from his home life – JD seemed able to handle him much better. If Dr. Cox served him a ten minute rant about how incompetent the new interns were, or how annoying his newest hypochondriac patient was, or how Jordan just _had_ to use _his_ money for that oh-so-needed manicure, he would just nod along and listen, and if an insult or two slipped out in the process, well…the kid knew for sure now that he really did care; knew how hard he was trying. That made even Perry's worst habits a million times more tolerable.

JD came back just as Dr. Cox was leaving the room. To the red headed man's surprise, the young brunette handed him a coffee. "I didn't ask for this, Newbie."

"I know, but you looked like you could use another cup."

"Thanks, kid."

JD smiled at this, while Dr. Cox, on the other hand, swallowed down a prominent emotion he still hadn't quite gotten rid of.

While their relationship had definitely changed for the better since JD's accidental hypnotism, it was sometimes hard for the older man to forget his protégé's five year old self; memories that he was not permitted to share. And sure, he could always talk about them with Carla, but he preferred to refrain from doing so. Not to say she hadn't helped at all during the weekend in which he'd taken care of little JD, but he knew how she'd react if he ever confessed he still sometimes saw him as such: She'd give him that sweet, mother-like smile, tell him he'd been doing a good job with the whole transition, and then pat him gently on the shoulder before saying how lucky Bambi was to have him.

Yeah, okay – he already _knew_ all that. But it still bothered him that sometimes, even now, he'd look over at JD and suddenly see the kid sitting on his apartment floor, smiling up at him and offering him another lego piece. Or in the cafeteria, when he would randomly catch the kid eating with Gandhi: Instead of seeing him eating the insanely greasy burger, he'd see Newbie stuffing down a peanut butter and banana sandwich. The worst time ever was when he heard JD mumble his disgust for broccoli in the middle of the lunch line. Perry had caught himself just in time before saying something humiliating like, "You have to eat those vegetables, kiddo." Oh dear God, that would have been _horrible._

That was another thing: "Kiddo." He hadn't called JD that since the whole incident. Kid, occasionally, but never kiddo. There were just certain things he couldn't bring himself to do with the fully grown JD. One of which, to the young man's increasing disappointment, was hug him.

"You know…I'm still waiting for that hug, Dr. Cox," JD had said to him one day during lunch when Turtlehead was still stuck in surgery.

"Too bad, Newbie."

"Aw, c'mon! I thought your main problem with doing that was because you didn't want me to know that you…you know…" JD stopped then to lower his voice, not wanting to have the whole room hear his next words and have his mentor take back everything he'd already confessed, "Care about me and stuff."

"Newbie, you're a grown man. You need to stop with the constantly needing a hug thing, alright?"

JD gave a slight nod as his lower lip stuck into a pout, only to cause Perry's memories of the hypnotized doctor to fully erupt in his mind. He left the lunchroom early that day.

The truth was, the idea of hugging JD wasn't really the problem. He'd done it several times with the younger version of his protégé, but _that_, right there, was the _actual_ problem. The older doctor now found himself associating nicknames like kiddo and comforting hugs as a strictly five-year-old-Newbie thing, and while it was undoubtedly true that the situation in its entirety had affected their current relationship for the better, there were still definite road blocks that Dr. Cox was having trouble getting over.

But why? The obvious answer to anybody would be to automatically assume that Perry didn't have a kid of his own; that he was missing the younger version of his Newbie because of a desire to have a child himself, but that was just completely untrue! Not that he didn't see JD in a son like fashion, but he _did_ have a kid of his own; a boy he loved very much. So why was he having such difficulty getting over that one weekend?

Dr. Cox thought back to the picture JD's older brother had brought in just days after his protégé had awoken from his hypnotized state. Maybe that was one of the reasons why. Now that Perry had seen an actual picture of Newbie as a five year old, the image of him at that specific age seemed to stick out even more.

The Irish man shook his head as he continued to sip at his coffee. Whatever the reason, he'd sort it out later. Right now, he was at work. He had patients to see and annoying people to deal with.

"Ah, Perry!"

Speak of the devil.

"Beelzebub," Dr. Cox growled. He saw JD give him a "Do you want me to stay and back you up look?" but Perry just rolled his eyes and nodded his head towards the on-call room. Newbie was working a sixteen hour shift, and if he didn't take advantage of his break and get some sleep pronto, there was a good chance he wouldn't be able to make it for the remaining six hours.

Once JD had turned the corner to finally get some rest, Perry turned his attention back onto Kelso. "Listen, Bobbo. I re-_heel_-y don't have time for this today. While it's true the majority of my patients are doing quite well, it's _also_ true that half of them shouldn't even _be_ here, seeing as how nothing's even _remotely_ wrong with them. Why you insist on giving the best damn doctor in this place all the hypochondriacs is beyond me, but really if you'd just –"

"Save the racket for the tennis court, chief. Believe it or not, what I need to say has nothing to do with you."

Perry snarled, not very pleased at being interrupted mid-rant. "Then why are you here?"

"I have information concerning your ex-wife."

"Which is…?"

"There's going to be a big medical conference held in Buffalo this week; a conference that all board members are required to attend. Seeing as how she's on the board as well, I'm just gonna go ahead and have you pass that information on to her."

"This week as in Sunday? As in _tomorrow?_ Bob, are you insane!? That'd be short notice even for me, let alone Jordan! You know how much self-care products that woman needs to pack just for a weekend at her mothers?"

"Hey, champ – what has two thumbs and doesn't give a crap? Bob Kelso. How ya' doin'."

Perry bared his teeth as Kelso just walked away, a self satisfied smirk spread across his face.

--

The phone conversation had gone over pretty much how Dr. Cox had expected it to. "Jordan," he murmured angrily through clenched teeth. "I'm just the messenger. If you want someone to blame, go yell at Bobbo."

"I'm just saying! You're at the hospital all week and the nanny's taking a vacation of her own, which means that I have to leave _tonight,_ just so I have enough time to drop Jack off at my mother's before going to the airport. Not to mention the packing I have to cram into what – one, maybe two suitcases? Do you have any idea how stressed I am right now?"

"Gee, I don't know. Maybe, if you'd like, we can switch. _I _can leave this hell hole for a week, get on a plane with a ticket bought with _your_ money instead of_ mine_, and _you_ can stay here and take care of sick people while I'm gone. Whaddya say?"

She had hung up the phone after that, but called back just five minutes later in order for Dr. Cox to say goodbye to Jack. Even Jordan wasn't so cruel that she wouldn't allow Perry as a father to tell his son goodbye.

After giving the three year old boy instructions on how to deal with the forever aging she-devil that was his grandma, Perry hung up the phone. He was feeling ten times more exhausted than he felt from only an hour earlier, and was suddenly more than grateful that Newbie had gone ahead and bought him that extra coffee from before.

Right. Newbie.

Dr. Cox jumped down from the counter he'd been sitting on and made his way to the on-call room. JD still had about thirty or so minutes left of sleep, and Perry himself was long over due for a break of his own.

Pushing open the door quietly as to not to wake the kid up, Dr. Cox fell noiselessly onto the first empty bed he laid eyes on. It wasn't until he turned on his side did he realize that JD was currently occupying the bed right across from his own.

He hadn't realized how exhausted Newbie must've been as well, but considering the doctor now lay sprawled out on the mattress with his sneakers still on, well…it was more or less a dead give away.

"Wiped out too, eh kiddo?" Dr. Cox let the words hang in the air, getting ready to close his eyes as well. Or at least he would have, if it wasn't for his pager deciding to pick that exact moment in time to beep at him obnoxiously. "Ah, damn it!" he whisper-shouted at the intrusive piece of machinery. "What now!?"

Perry stood from his place on the bed to march angrily out of the on-call room. He closed the door just in time to miss JD curl in on himself, snuggling closer to the pillow as his thumb found its way to his mouth.

--

Carla made her way to the on-call room in what Elliot would most likely describe as, "The other side of the tracks up-bringing fashion." Basically, she was pissed.

While it was true that Sacred Heart wasn't nearly as busy as it had been in the past, they were still busy enough that when a doctor was, let's say, ignoring every single one of his pages and not returning for the rest of his shift, it tended to cause some problems.

Because it was Bambi she was dealing with here, she chose to cut him some slack. He was in the middle of an extremely long shift during an extremely long day. He was known to be a rather heavy sleeper, so she didn't really mind sparing him an extra ten minutes or so. But when ten minutes turned to twenty, and twenty turned to thirty, and doctors kept harassing her every two seconds as to who was taking care of Dorian's patients if he was off in la-la-land somewhere - as if _his_ slacking off was _her_ fault – the nurse's blood began to boil. She was a busy woman, and just because she and JD were friends didn't mean he could just continue on sleeping and get away with it scott free.

Upon reaching the on-call room, she swung the door open and flicked on the light, getting ready to give the young doctor an earful. She stopped though, when she noticed his peculiar position on the bed.

The brunette was curled into a tight ball, his face burrowed into the pillow as if the object itself held all the warmth in the world. But what really had her eyes popping was where his thumb was; tucked away neatly inside his mouth. He sucked on it lightly, blissfully unaware of the world around him.

It would've been funnier, cuter even, if she wasn't already mad at him. Still, the site before her seemed to bring her frustration to a more reasonable level, as she walked over and shook his shoulder to wake him rather than slamming the door as she had planned on doing earlier.

"Bambi," she said softly. The brunette only stirred, a small whimper escaping his lips in the process. She sighed, shaking his shoulder just a little harder. "JD," she tried again. "Come on. Your break ended thirty minutes ago. It's time to get up now."

Finally, the young doctor opened his eyes. He looked at her and squinted, confusion etched in his features.

"Come on, Bambi. I know it's been a long day, but it's time to get up."

JD brought his hands to his eyes and rubbed fiercely, doing his best to shoo away the sleep. When he pulled them down, he continued to stare up at her; head cocked to the side, blue eyes wide and curious. The next words out of his mouth had Carla's jaw dropping straight to the floor.

"…Bambi lady?"

**_A/N: _**_Well, there it is! I know this was more of a summary of what's been going on for the past month and a peek inside of our favorite character's minds, but I felt it was necessary before moving on to the bigger stuff. I can at least promise you that the plot will pick up sooner rather than later (or so I like to think. lol) Oh! Just one more thing before I go. I'm going to be gone for about a week, but I plan on writing while I'm on the road, so by the time I get back, I hope to have a lot more for you guys. Anyway, I really hope you all enjoyed it. :) Until next time!_


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N: _**_Hey, guys! Before I even get started here, I have to say it – Wow! Thank you guys _so much_ for all the lovely reviews and messages! They mean a lot to me, and I'm thrilled to see you guys are just as excited about the sequel as I am about writing it. :) I'm doing my best to keep it up to par with the first, so here's to hoping for a success. lol _

_Anyway, I just got home a couple of hours ago from my week long vacation, and as promised, I worked on the story while I was gone. I'm going to be very busy for the next couple of weeks or so, but I'm doing my best to give you guys quick and consistent updates, so please hang with me here, and I thank you guys all for you patience already._

_Well, that's enough out of me. Onto the story!_

_**Disclaimer:** I own a very large nothing._

**Chapter 2:**

Dr. Cox stormed through the halls, not even sure where he was going next. He'd been paged by Kelso just to be asked whether or not he passed the information on to Jordan about the mandatory conference in Buffalo.

"_That's_ why you interrupted me on my only break in sixteen hours!?"

"What's the matter, Perry? Too much to handle for the, 'Best damn doctor in this place?'"

Dr. Cox had made sure to slam the door extra hard when storming out of his office.

Now he was just roaming; waiting with clenched teeth for whoever planned on paging him next. And by God – if it wasn't something important, he would so-_hoe_ make them pay.

As if on cue, said piece of machinery began beeping at him. He whipped it out angrily, getting ready to curse off whatever nuisance needed him now. When he noticed who the message was from, however, he felt himself calm down some. Carla? That was a little odd. She very scarcely paged him for anything. When he finally stopped to look at the message itself, he felt his eyebrows furrow, his confusion increasing.

**Come to room 224. We have a problem.**

Perry picked up the pace, even if his uncertainty over the situation hadn't completely subsided. He could've _sworn_ Room 224 had been vacated just an hour ago. Was their a new patient admitted already?

He got there quickly, preparing himself for the worst – _a train wreck code maybe?_ – but when he finally did reach his destination, he was met with a troubled looking Carla, standing outside the door like a guard and worrying her lower lip. Upon seeing him, she openly relaxed, yet the concern in her eyes was still very evident.

"You paged me?" Dr. Cox asked, the curiosity in his voice overshadowing the earlier frustration.

"Yeah…"

"Okay, then…why are we standing _outside_ the patient's room? I'm guessing it can't be too big of an emergency if we're not in there resuscitating the poor bastard."

"No one's dying, Dr. Cox. It's…it's Bambi."

Perry tried to keep his eyes from bugging as he felt his heart plummet. What could've happened to Newbie that was so important for Carla to have paged him? No, he was being stupid. She just told him that no one was dying. "What about Newbie?" he was able to get out casually.

"He's, um…well, Turk's in there entertaining him right now."

Dr. Cox quirked an eyebrow. That sounded _extremely_ familiar. But no. That was just…that was impossible! There was just no _way_. "And why, pray tell, would Gandhi need to be…'_entertaining'_…Newbie in the middle of his shift?"

A tense silence encased them both as the two stared at one another, a growing realization making itself known on the older man's expression. "Carla…?" he finally managed. "H-_How!?_"

"I don't know!" she whisper-shouted. "I just…I don't know! I went into the on-call room to wake him up because he wasn't answering any of his pages. When I got there, he was still sleeping, all curled up. And he was…Dr. Cox, he was sucking his _thumb!_ But I didn't even think that –"

"Carla, I need you to be straight with me here. Is Newbie…does Newbie think he's…?"

The nurse inhaled slowly before answering the unspoken question. "Yes. I don't know how, but JD's hypnotized again. He thinks he's five years old, just like before. And Dr. Cox? He's been asking for you."

--

Turk finished his exciting rendition of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme song to laughter and applause. JD sat on the edge of the examination table, swinging his legs and giggling.

"Pretty awesome, right?" Turk asked proudly, happy at being able to make the younger version of his best friend laugh so hard. Still, Turk was just as confused as his wife was over the current situation. His first thought when Carla had told him was to wave it off. Surely his Vanilla Bear was just pulling a prank on them. But the minute that thought hit, a much more likely one came streaming through. JD _couldn't_ be tricking them, because JD didn't even know he'd been hypnotized in the first place!

"Turk?"

The surgeon shook his head, bringing his attention back to his "five year old" friend. "Yeah, buddy? What's up?"

"Where's Dr. Cox?"

Turk sighed as he walked over to the small basket where he knew the nurses kept lollipops for their younger patients. He unwrapped it quickly and gave it to the brunette, who popped it in his mouth gratefully. "Carla paged him, alright? He should be here pretty soon."

JD nodded as he continued to swing his legs, blue eyes wide and waiting.

--

Dr. Cox stared at her, mouth agape. "He…he remembers me?"

This was not the response the Latina woman had been expecting. She felt her eyebrows come together, puzzled at the older man's reaction. "Why wouldn't he remember you? You took care of him for an entire weekend."

"I know, I know. I just…c'mon, Carla, don't you remember from last time? We had to 'introduce' ourselves; as if we never met. I mean…if he thinks he's five again, shouldn't he, ya' know…not know who we are?"

Carla pursed her lips, clearly thinking this theory over. "That is true…" she finally responded. "If Bambi's remembering _his_ childhood, it seems odd that he'd remember us from the last time, considering that wasn't really part of his _actual_ childhood." The nurse shook her head then, regaining a bit of that fiery Latina attitude as she returned to her famous hands on hips posture. "But the truth of the matter is this: He remembers all of us – me, Turk, and most especially, _you_ – so we have to find out exactly what happened to put him back in this state. And until then, we have to decide where he's going to stay."

Dr. Cox rubbed a calloused hand through his curls. He surprised the nurse again by letting out a small little laugh. "You think this is funny?" she asked in astonishment.

"Ironic more than funny. Let's just say that the very same thing that was causing me one hell of a headache before is suddenly, dare I say it, a blessing."

"What're you talking about?"

"Carla…Jordan is gone for a _week_, and Jack-o is at his grandmother's. You getting me here?"

A relieved smile broke out on the nurses' face; her shoulder's easing in the process. "And you're okay with taking him?"

Perry actually didn't know how to answer this one. While he was relieved Newbie would be taken care of by someone he could trust – himself of course – while once again being thrown into the idea that he was really just five years old, he was still…nervous. He'd made vast improvements when it came to the whole transition from last time, but would JD's set back, this relapse of his, also be a set back for Dr. Cox as well? If ever - no - _when_ever Newbie got back to normal, would Perry have to remind himself even more than usual _not_ to look at his protégé as a five year old boy? Would he no longer be able to control his tongue when it came to slipping out embarrassing lectures, like he almost did that one time in the cafeteria? "Yeah…" he finally answered. "I'm alright with taking him." And it was true, because even if he didn't have the answer to those questions right now, he was undoubtedly more prepared for this than he was the last time around.

Perry reached forward and gripped the handle.

--

Turk watched as his friend stared up worriedly at the clock. "Where's Dr. Cox?" the brunette asked for the umpteenth time.

"Listen, buddy. He's gonna get here as soon as he can, alright? He's a pretty busy doctor, though I'll admit that he _should_ have been here by now…"

"Do you think…?" JD started hesitantly.

"Do I think what?"

"Do you think he…do you think he's mad at me?"

Turk walked over and patted his friend's shoulder comfortingly. "Nah, he's not mad at you. Probably just worried."

"Worried? Why's he worried?"

The surgeon bit his lip. He couldn't tell him the truth. It'd be too confusing for him to understand; too much of a mind trip. "Let's just say…I don't think he expected you to come and visit."

JD's eyes widened at this, the worry from earlier only increasing. Turk instantly wished he had phrased that better. "S-So he is mad at me…?"

"No, JD, no! When I said he didn't expect you to come and visit, I didn't mean he was _upset_ that you came, I just meant –" But whatever the surgeon had planned on saying next was cut off, as the door handle twisted open.

--

Perry's hand rested on the door knob. Why wasn't he opening it? What was wrong with him? A sudden hand on his shoulder had his already tense muscles tighten even further. He turned his head sharply to glare at whoever dared to look on at his hesitation, but relaxed when he saw it was Carla. She hadn't left yet? No, why would she? He closed his eyes tightly to regain his clear thinking, snapping them open just seconds later.

"Dr. Cox?"

"Right," he answered quietly. He turned back to the handle and twisted it open.

At first he just saw Gandhi waving his hands frantically; stuttering over a series of words that left him with no idea what Turtlehead had been talking about. But then both sets of eyes, including a set that held a familiar child like curiosity, were on him, staring. Perry just stared back, but only at Newbie. For a moment, all was still. Doe blue eyes interlocked with his own, and then, much to the older man's relief, a large smile broke through it all.

JD practically pounced off of the table and into Perry's arms. "Dr. Cox, Dr. Cox, Dr. Cox!" The older man tensed at the sudden contact, but relaxed as Newbie buried his face into his chest while his arms found their way around his middle. "I missed you!" he shouted happily, and Perry really couldn't help it. He hugged him back. Lightly, awkwardly (people were still watching, after all) but it was sincere, and that was all anyone could really ask for when it came to Perry Cox.

"Hey, kid," he murmured quietly. "You alright?"

JD held on to Dr. Cox, but allowed himself to unbury his face from the older man's chest as he looked up at his caretaker. He nodded enthusiastically, bearing all pearly whites in the process. "Yup! Whatta 'bout you? Are youalright?"

Perry nodded, eyebrows slightly furrowed. "Is there a reason I shouldn't be?"

JD finally let go of his grip on the older man to back up a few steps. He stared at his feet, looking rather hesitant. Dr. Cox quirked an eyebrow. Not even five minutes into this and the kid already had him confused.

"Newbie...?"

"Dr. Turk said you didn't expect me, and I…I made you worried…"

The surgeon flinched slightly as the Irishman's gaze set sternly on his own, glaring hard. He turned to his wife for help, but found the Latina woman to be doing the same exact thing. "I didn't mean it like that!" he finally shouted defensively.

Carla just sighed as she made her way towards her husband. She slipped an arm around his waist and pulled him towards her. "I know, baby, but you have to be careful how you word things with JD now, alright?"

Turk nodded. "Yeah, baby. I know. I was trying, trust me, but –"

"Well try harder," Perry cut in suddenly, "Because I'm leaving him with the two of you until I get back."

Carla turned her attention back to the red headed man, puzzled. "Back from where?"

"Kelso's office, unfortunately. Looks like I'll need to be requesting some time off. Carla – you'll have to find someone to cover Newbie for the rest of the week. Asking Bobbo for time off for both me and the kid at the same time is going to draw some unwanted attention."

"Got it," she replied, nodding her agreement.

"Can I come?"

Perry turned his gaze back to JD, who was looking at him, hopeful. "No, Newbie. Stay here with Carla and Gandhi, alright?"

JD looked to the floor and nodded. "Okay…"

Dr. Cox stuffed his hands in his pockets as he gave an almost inaudible sigh. He'd have to get used to Newbie being a bit more sensitive than usual, which was really saying something for JD to begin with… "And Newbie?"

The young doctor lifted his eyes to look at the man before him, but his head still stayed low. "Yeah?"

"When I get back, we're going home."

JD raised his head then, optimism leaking through his voice. "Home?"

Perry inwardly winced. Damn it. Newbie probably didn't consider his apartment "home." Great, he was already screwing this up; giving the kid false hope and what not. "My home, Newbie. Sorry about that."

But this seemed to be the very thing JD had been hoping for. He let out a happy little yay as he rocked cheerily on the heels of his feet, arms spread out as if he was getting ready to take flight. Dr. Cox turned for the door before Carla or Gandhi were able to see the small grin that had found it's way on the older man's face.

--

His relief soon turned to anxiety as he made his way for Kelso's office. He had every single right to request for a week off, and if Bobbo refused, he would not hesitate to bring up every single right that made his request beyond reasonable.

Dr. Cox knocked on the door, only to be greeted by a slurred, "I'm napping. Bother me later."

"Not gonna happen, Bobbo. I need to talk to you. Now."

He heard the older man behind the door grunt before mumbling a tired, "Ted, go get the door."

"Right away, Sir…"

Perry swooshed past the short balding man to place himself firmly in front of the Chief of Medicine's desk. He wasn't going to beat around the bush with this one. Not when little Newbie was back in an empty patients room, waiting for him. "I need a week off. This week actually."

Kelso opened one eye to peer up at the curly haired doctor above him. Swinging his outstretched legs off of the table, the older man readjusted himself in his seat. "Perry," he finally began. "You know I'm going to ask – why in the _hell_ do you think you suddenly deserve a week off?"

"Believe it or not there, Bobbo, but I'm not doing this for shits and giggles. It's important, and no, I'm not letting you in on the details. However, if you want to sit here and discuss why it is I quote on quote '_deserve_' a week off, then here we go. One: I've worked on every damn holiday for the last three years. Now granted, I didn't care, seeing as how I think the majority, if not all holidays, are complete and utter nonsense. Two: While this _is_ short notice, I believe it was only just hours ago in which I had to sit and deal with the rantings and ravings of my very angry ex-wife due to a trip you were too lazy to tell her about yourself; a trip that was undoubtedly _also_ short notice. And three: Well, I don't really have a third, but feel free to blow it out your ass."

"Fine."

"But if you really want a third I could always – excuse me there, Bobbo…what was that?"

"I said _fine._ You want a week off? Take it."

The two just stared at one another for a moment, the surprise of the older man caving in so easily clearly evident on Perry's expression. "Can I ask where this sudden act of human decency is coming from?" he finally managed.

"Don't think I'm giving you off because I feel you deserve it, or that I'm in the mood to hand out freebees. That little holiday part of your rant made Ted over there paler than usual."

Dr. Cox looked over his shoulder to find the balding man covered in sweat, clearly nervous over the situation at hand. Perry raised an eyebrow. "And why would that be?"

"Because," Ted drawled, "No one employee is supposed to work every holiday all year around. Technically, you could sue the hospital."

Dr. Cox rolled his eyes. As if he'd ever. Still, this seemed liable enough of an excuse to actually get Kelso to cooperate. He sure as hell wasn't about to complain. Perry heightened his stance and crossed his arms, a victorious smirk spreading across his features. "Anything else then?"

"No. Now get the hell out of my office before I change my mind."

Dr. Cox was halfway out of the door before Bob's voice grated through his eardrums. "Oh, and Perry?"

"Beelzebub?"

"Believe me when I say that this coming week is as much a vacation for me as it is for you. A week without your pain in the ass, god complex personality is almost as good as muffin day at the nurses' station."

Perry swiped at his nose before leaving with the final word. "As I said before, Bob – blow it out your ass." And then he closed the door.

--

Dr. Cox was greeted by a cheery JD as he re-entered the used-to-be-empty patient's room. The brunette took to bouncing around the older man while said doctor answered every single one of the Latina woman's questions.

"So you got a week off?"

"Yes. Kelso was – JD, calm down – Kelso was surprisingly tolerable."

"And you don't mind him staying with you again?"

"I have everything that'll keep him entertained, don't I? And he's clearly – JD,_ relax _– he's cla-_hearly_ okay with staying at my place."

JD was now tugging on Perry's sleeve, pulling determinedly at his lab coat. "Can we go now? Can we?"

Part of Perry enjoyed JD's excitement. He was still undoubtedly worried as to _why_ the kid thought he was five again. He still didn't understand how, exactly, Newbie remembered the people he 'met' when he was last in this state. He was still concerned that JD's relapse would also be his own, but part of him…part of him was a little… He reached over to ruffle the kid's hair, ignoring the surprised look on Milk Dud's expression. "Yeah, kid. We can go."

Dr. Cox turned for the door, Newbie trailing right behind him. He stopped, however, when Carla pressed a business card into the palm of his hand. Perry looked at it and startled. "A hypnotist? You want me to take him to see _another_ hypnotist? Isn't that how this whole thing started!?"

"I'm not talking about Mr. Edwards, Dr. Cox. This was _my_ hypnotist. The one that helped me quit smoking. He's really reliable, I promise. He may be able to figure out how JD got this way again."

"Got what way?"

The three turned to JD, who was still standing by the door, rocking on his heels.

"Nothing, sweetie," Carla answered calmly. "You go and have fun with Dr. Cox, okay?"

JD nodded enthusiastically. "Yup, yup!" he turned to the older man then, eyes alight with excitement. "We're going now, right?"

"Yeah, Newbie, we're going."

The two left the hospital together, but not before JD waved goodbye to Turk and the Bambi Lady, smiling all the while.

**_A/N:_**_ I hope it was worth the wait! Oh, and that thing about Carla having gone and seen a hypnotist to help her quit smoking wasn't made up. It was revealed in one of the episodes, though sadly, I can't remember which one. Anyway, I _promise_ that things will get explained. JD's relapse of sorts isn't just random; there is a reason, and it'll all be revealed as the story continues. Well, that about sums it up for now. Hope you enjoyed it. :) Until next time!_


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N: _**_Hey, everyone! Sorry this one took a bit longer. I've been busy packing for college and what not. Anyway, thanks so much for all the reviews, messages, and all the lovely encouragement. Not a word goes unappreciated from you guys. :) _

_Before moving on with the story, I'd like to ask you all a quick favor. I was struck the other night with a new plot idea and instantly wrote the first chapter. However, seeing as how it centers around a few things I've never attempted before, one pairing in particular, I'm a little nervous about posting it. The story is called,_ "My Love Potion." _If you could possibly go to my profile and vote for whether or not you'd like to read it, I'd be really grateful for your opinion._

_Now enough out of me. Enjoy guys!_

_**Need to know fact for this chapter:** Lavender is supposed to help calm a person as well as help them sleep._

_**Disclaimer:** I own a very large nothing._

**Chapter 3:**

JD was still jumping up and down as they entered the apartment. Dr. Cox actually grinned at the kid's enthusiasm. He knew eventually the bouncing and random singing would once again get, well, frustrating…but at least this time he'd be able to handle it better. This time, he wouldn't need to constantly keep reminding himself that Newbie really believed he was a five year old boy. And besides, the bouncing was kind of cu – Okay, so he still had some trouble admitting when JD's behavior was rather endearing…

Perry glanced at the clock, noticing it was already time for some well deserved dinner. The kid was probably hungry too. "Hey, Newbie, do you want me to order –" Perry stopped when he turned around to find an empty room. Oh great. Had he already managed to lose him? It was at that very moment when something that sounded like make-believe plane noises caught his attention. Dr. Cox smirked. It appeared that along with not forgetting who he, Carla, and Turtlehead were, JD also did not forget where the room that held every toy he could possibly imagine was located inside of the apartment.

Dr. Cox made his way towards Jack's room, trying to swallow his grin. It only managed to widen, however, when he saw the site that awaited him there.

Newbie sat on the floor, gliding the plastic plane threw the air with an outstretched arm, making all the proper sound effects that went along with said mode of transportation. "Vroom, vroom," seemed to be his favorite. Perry just leaned against the doorframe and watched. JD really was an amusing little kid.

After another two minutes of different plane noises, Dr. Cox let out a soft whistle. The brunette looked up, surprised at the older man's sudden appearance. He beamed though, clearly happy to see him there. "You wanna play?"

"Maybe later, Newbie. I was actually wondering if you were hungry."

JD's stomach chose that time to let out a very apparent growl. The young doctor giggled as he poked his belly button and nodded. "Uh-huh."

"Pizza sound good?"

Dr. Cox inwardly startled as Newbie let out a surprised gasp. The kids' eyes were practically _glowing._

"Pizza? We can get pizza!?"

"Yeah, kid, pizza. You like that, huh?"

JD was up on his feet now, jumping up and down where he stood. "Yeah! Yeah, yeah, yeah!"

"Alright there, Newbie. Calm down. It's not exactly the holy grail or anything."

"'The holy grail?'"

"Never mind."

JD followed his mentor into the living room, toy plane still in hand, and watched on excitedly as the older man called to put in their order.

Thirty minutes later and the delivery guy was at Dr. Cox's door. Perry quickly shoved the tip into the teen's awaiting hand, ignoring the fact that the kid was giving the overly excited Newbie in the background a rather odd look. "You wanna take a picture?" the red headed doctor asked sarcastically, jerking a thumb towards JD.

The delivery guy looked shocked, a faint blush spreading through his cheeks. "What? No, I just –"

"Good answer. Now scram."

The kid hurried off as Perry slammed the door. God, that felt good. Dr. Cox knew that going a whole week without getting any aggression out was going to be difficult, but if he could manage to let it out in small little spurts to anyone _but_ Newbie, then he was good to go. And besides…despite the worry as to why JD was like this anyway, Dr. Cox found himself surprisingly calm. Maybe it was just him balancing out the energy that radiated off of the "five year old" doctor, or maybe it was that pure, child-like innocence that had Perry's usual anger locked up and stored away.

"Pizza's here!"

"Yes, Newbie, I know. That's why I'm carrying it."

JD just giggled as he followed his caretaker to the kitchen. He was practically drooling by the time Dr. Cox handed him his plate, and Perry had to hide his smile as he bit into his slice.

--

JD had gone to his room after dinner, eager to play with his toys. He had planned on going for his favorite toy of all; the legos! Then he'd be able to bring them to the living room and spend time with Dr. Cox, just like the last time he was here. But as little JD made his way for the large red tub he knew contained his favorite item, he spotted something else.

In the corner of the room sat a medium sized container. JD cocked his head, curious as to what lay inside. He approached it cautiously, pretending for just a moment that he was getting ready to defeat a mighty dragon, but once he got in reaching range, he leaned forward and opened the lid.

Blue eyes widened in happy surprise at the various colors that lay before him. "Ooooo!" he said aloud in awe. "Finger paints!"

--

Perry sat on the couch, flipping through channels and waiting for Newbie to come out of his room. Not that it was strange that the kid wanted to play some more, but a whole half hour had gone by, and JD was still in there, silently. The only other time he had remained in his room for that long was when he had been in a bad mood due to lack of sleep. That had been last time of course, but still…JD usually would've come out by now. He liked spending time with him, didn't he?

Perry shook his head. God, was he being pathetic… Even more pathetic than that though, was the neglected business card that was still residing in the older man's pocket; the number to Carla's recommended hypnotist. He hated to admit it, but it really was their best chance at figuring out what had happened to make JD the way he was again. He had to call him. Should've called him by now, actually… Why hadn't he? Dr. Cox snorted in disgust. He couldn't even pretend he didn't know why he'd neglected to pick up the phone. Perry shook his head. Absolutely pathetic…

Just as Dr. Cox was getting ready to go check on his baby protégé, a sudden knock at the door interrupted him. Perry turned to the clock. Seven-thirty. Past the initial thought of, "Newbie's probably going to be getting tired in another half hour," the curly haired doctor couldn't help but wonder who would randomly decide to show up at his door.

Another more persistent knock echoed through his apartment. "Hold _on!_" Perry growled in response. The Irishman swung the door open to be greeted by a firey eyed nurse.

"That tone _better_ not have been directed towards me, Crazy Eyes."

"Carla? What're you doing here?"

"I'm being responsible, that's what."

"What?"

"Forget anything that Bambi might be needing this week?"

"No…?"

The Latina woman rolled her eyes. "Clothes, Dr. Cox, clothes! Last time he was stuck wearing _your_ wardrobe."

"Hey, the kid said he liked wearing my shirts."

"And your pants?"

"Okay, so those were a little too big for him, but –"

The nurse caught him off by thrusting a duffel bag into his arms. "These are for him. Oh! And so are these." Carla put a plastic bag on top of the one Perry was already carrying.

"And what, pray tell, is inside of this bag?"

"Pajamas. I went out and bought him some after work."

"Doesn't the kid have his own pajamas?"

"Well, yeah, but…"

"Carla?" Dr. Cox asked suspiciously.

"I just thought that, you know…he could dress his age once in a while..."

Perry's eyes widened at this. "Puh-_lease_ tell me there's not a onsie in here, because trust me…he already has one of those."

"It's not a onsie, Dr. Cox. I promise."

Perry gave a quick grunt. Carla really was something else, but he had to admit: he owed her his thanks. "Carla –"

"You're welcome," she answered with a smile. She turned to leave, but stopped suddenly, clearly remembering something she had almost forgotten. "Oh! How'd that phone call go?"

Dr. Cox quirked an eyebrow. "What phone call?"

"The hypnotist! Did you set up an appointment?"

A silence encased them both as the older man scrounged for the right words to say. Damn it! What was it about Carla that made it harder for him to break out with the rants!? The woman was sharp though, and those five seconds of silence was all she needed to know the truth. "You didn't call him yet, did you?"

"I was going to, I just –"

"You just what?"

"Forgot!"

"Dr. Cox...I'm not going to go ahead and say what I think the real reason is for you 'forgetting,' but –"

"There's a first."

"_But,_" the nurse continued, clearly annoyed by his comment, "You really need to set up that appointment. You said yourself that Jordan's going to be back in a week. JD can't still be like this when she gets back! What would we do with him then? And what about Bambi's adult life, huh? His job, his patients, his apartment, his –"

"Carla, I get it!" Perry pinched the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes tightly. She was right. Of course she was right! He knew it, and so did everyone else that was even remotely involved in the current situation. Except for Newbie, of course…

A small pat on the shoulder grabbed his attention. Carla was smiling up at him reassuringly, her eyes shining with understanding sympathy. Perry wasn't particularly sure if he liked that, but… "I'll give the place a call once Newbie goes to bed."

She nodded once more before turning to go, leaving Dr. Cox alone to sort through his thoughts.

--

After setting the duffle bag down on the living room floor, along with the separate bag of pajamas, Dr. Cox made his way towards Jack's room, remembering his plan to check up on his protégé _before_ Carla had showed up at his door to lecture him.

"Newbie?" he asked as he knocked on the door.

"Dr. Cox! Come and play!"

Perry opened the door as he began speaking. "Carla just came by with some of your clot –" he stopped mid sentence, completely forgetting what it was he had planned on saying.

The curly haired doctor could only stare, wide eyed and mouth agape, at the site that lay before him. Newbie was absolutely _covered_ in paint. Mini containers from every color of the rainbow and more lay scattered across the room. At least, Perry thought to himself, slowly pulling his mind out of its current shock, JD had been wise enough to _not_ paint the floor and furniture. But without any paper, he clearly had to of painted something. Apparently, that something had been his scrubs and his face. And oh, God…there was even paint in his _hair_!

"Look, Dr. Cox!" JD raised his hands and wiggled his multi-colored fingers. "Finger paints!"

"Newbie…" Perry started slowly, "Where did you get those?"

JD pointed to the corner where the larger and now opened container sat idly. "I found 'em!" he exclaimed happily.

For the second time in less than an hour, the older man found himself pinching the bridge of his nose in quiet frustration. And really, who could blame him? Newbie looked like a freaking rainbow!

"Dr. Cox…?" he began nervously. "A-Are you mad at me…?"

Perry inhaled deeply, tossing the question around his mind in silence. It didn't take him long to figure out the answer: No. Of course he wasn't. He made it very clear the last time JD was here and in this state that any toy in this room was up for grabs. Hell, he'd forgotten about the finger paints himself until the kid showed him where they were. "No, Newbie. It's okay. Just…if you want to finger paint again, ya' gotta ask me. I think I should be there to supervise…"

JD just nodded, his expression still wary. Why did Dr. Cox look upset? Finger paints were fun, and he'd done a good at keeping the colors off of the rug, right? "'Kay…" he finally answered.

Perry took another look at his brightly colored protégé and sighed. The kid looked pretty crestfallen, not to mention confused. He walked over to him quietly and crouched down until they were eye level. "You sure are messy, kid." His tone was light; comforting even. JD looked up then, his eyes regaining a bit of that sparkle that made him who he was.

"Okay," Dr. Cox began again, a professional air to his voice. "You're definitely in need of a bath, Newbie."

JD stood up from his spot on the floor and followed his mentor into the bathroom. Once there, it took Perry a minute to decide how to proceed. Last time, he had left the kid alone to bathe, and had been rewarded by a bathroom full of bubbles. No, he really shouldn't leave this time. Besides, JD was going to need some help at getting all the gunk out of his hair.

The hypnotized doctor began to undress as Perry went about filling the tub. He was sure to keep himself occupied, giving JD the privacy he needed. Well, okay…Newbie in his current state really couldn't care less, but Dr. Cox knew very well that "grown up" JD would've turned fire engine red.

Once in the tub, the brunette asked the question Perry had been anticipating. "Can I have some bubbles?"

Dr. Cox glanced at his watch. Quarter to eight. Newbie usually got tired around eight-o-clock, and was more than likely asleep by eight-thirty. The man could only assume that, that had been the kid's bedtime when he was younger. Still, while Newbie wasn't exactly hyper, he was still on a bit of an adrenaline rush from the whole paint fiasco. Bubbles would only excite him more, right? Unless… "Sure, Newbie. You can have bubbles." Perry reached for the lavender scented bubbles under the sink, more than confidant in his plan to calm the kid down. He took out the bottle and waved it for JD to see. "They're scented though. That okay?"

"Uh-huh!" he answered happily.

Perry went about pouring them into the bathtub while Newbie splashed around and giggled.

"Dr. Cox?"

"Yeah, kid?"

"Are there bath toys?"

Perry rolled his eyes playfully. "Yeah, Newbie. Hold on a sec." Two minutes later and the older man was back with one of Jack's many rubber ducks and plastic toy boats. He tossed them into the tub at JD, who giggled happily as water and bubbles splashed from the impact of the throw. Dr. Cox grinned.

After a solid ten minutes of playing in the foamy water, Perry told JD it was time to actually start, you know…_bathing_.

The young doctor scrubbed at his face, meticulously going over each spot of skin. Perry couldn't help but wonder if his mom had given him a rather strict lesson on hygiene. He was starting to see little hints and traces as to what made Newbie rather girly some times, but he no longer found it as easy to make fun of as he would have only two months ago.

A sudden yawn interrupted his thoughts. Dr. Cox, who had been sitting on the closed toilet up until now, looked over at Newbie in the tub. He was silently rubbing at his eyes, the bubbles around him giving off a nice, lavender scent. Dr. Cox leaned over then, wetting the nearby washcloth with some warm water and setting it over his protégé's head.

"What're you doin'?" JD asked quietly, his voice slightly slurred.

"I'm washing your hair, kiddo."

"Why's that?"

"Because you're fond of finger painting."

"Oh," JD yawned, hand going up to rub at his eyes some more.

Once he was done, Perry pulled the plug from the drain and stood from his spot at the edge of the tub. He disappeared for a short moment before coming back with the bag of pajamas Carla had bought for Newbie earlier. "Here, kid. I'm gonna leave you to put these on, alright?"

JD nodded slowly before Perry left him alone to change.

--

A mere ten minutes later and Perry found himself choking on his beer, forcing the laughter down that had bubbled up before he could even begin to stop it. Newbie stood in the bathroom's entrance after just having changed into his pajamas. They were…they were… Dr. Cox swallowed a mouth full, doing all he could to hide his smile as he looked again at the hypnotized doctor, still standing in the doorway, sleepy eyed.

The pajamas fit Newbie well when it came to his width, but the length of both the pants and the sleeves were just a little too long. You could barely make out JD's toes, and the only thing that showed on his hands were the very tips of his fingers.

But the pajamas themselves…oh, God… Dr. Cox couldn't help but wonder if Carla was personally trying to make him admit how, well…_cute_ Newbie was in his current state. He inwardly scowled at this realization. Just because he didn't say it out loud didn't mean he wasn't thinking it, damn it! (Even if he wouldn't always allow himself to admit it within his own thoughts) Still though…the pajamas were just too…

"What's wrong, Dr. Cox?"

Perry snickered. "Nothing kid. You, uh…you like your pajamas?"

JD looked down at himself, as if noticing the material for the first time. "They're duckies!" he stated excitedly.

Indeed they were. Pale, yellow ducks were scattered across flannel, baby blue material. Newbie shifted in them, as if trying to break them in. Still, he seemed more than comfortable decked out in his current attire.

"Yeah, kiddo," Perry answered, biting down another spurt of laughter. "They are."

JD walked over to where his caretaker sat on the couch, plopping himself right down next to him. It wasn't long at all before the older man felt a sudden weight on his shoulder. Dark brown locks brushed against his neck as Newbie's breathing became deep and even.

"JD," Perry whispered quietly.

Newbie's lack of response answered his unspoken question: JD was fast asleep.

Dr. Cox picked him up smoothly, a wave of nostalgia hitting him hard as he did so. _Ignore it,_ he thought determinedly. _You can't let the kid's relapse be your own. Ig - nore - it._

Carefully, he carried the kid to his son's room, placing him gently on the bed that he had slept in just only a month ago. He stared down at him for a while, a swirl of emotions running through his head. Why was JD like this again? He looks so cu – no. Stop. Why was he having trouble letting go of five year old Newbie, even_ before_ he got re-hypnotized? It would've made sense if he never ended up confessing to his protégé that he cared about him, but he had. He had and he'd meant it sincerely too. Their relationship was undeniably better for it, so why? And – is he sucking his thumb again? Dear God, Newbie, you are just so – alright, enough. And the hypnotist…he had to call that good for nothing hypnotist. Perry scowled. He wasn't just standing there because Newbie was _just a_ _little_ cute right now, no. He was standing there because he was stalling.

Dr. Cox quietly turned off the light as he left JD to sleep in undisturbed bliss. He had a phone call to make.

**_A/N:_**_ Just admit it Perry; he's cute. It's not like you haven't before. lol Anyway, I hope this was worth the wait. I'm going to be _crazy_ busy these up-coming days. I have to be packed for school and there by the 22nd, and then after that is three days of orientation, and then classes start on the 25th. So if I'm not as consistent as usual, please cut me some slack. All I can do is assure you guys that I am most definitely still writing, and will do my best to give you decently timed updates. Things should be a lot calmer after the first week of classes, so let's keep our fingers crossed. :) Anyway, that about sums it up for me. Don't forget to stop by my profile to take that poll! It would be extremely appreciated. Okay, _now_ I'm done. lol Until next time!_


	4. Chapter 4

**_A/N: _**_Wow…I don't think it's ever taken me this long to update before. Okay, first and foremost: I apologize _immensely_ for how long this chapter has taken. I can at least assure you that the reason for my absence was not by my own will. My laptop quit on me, and I had to bring it to the shop to get repaired. So now it's finally back, and so am I! I did, however, write a whole lot while my computer was getting worked on, so updates should be coming much quicker now. But seriously; thank you guys for all your reviews, messages, and definitely for your patience. It's very, very much appreciated._

_ Well, enough out of me. Hope you enjoy the chapter!_

_ **Disclaimer:** I own a very large nothing. _

**Chapter 4:**

"The wheels on the bus go round and round! Round and round! Round and round! The wheels on the bus go round and round! All through the town!"

Dr. Cox focused on the road as JD continued to sing aloud happily, drumming on his knees to the rhythm in his head. He'd called the hypnotist once Newbie had fallen asleep, just as he had promised Carla, but that didn't mean he was particularly looking forward to their scheduled appointment. And really, could you blame him? After everything that'd happened so far, it was a bit of a challenge to even think of trusting someone in that profession, especially when it involved asking for advice about _his_ Newbie.

"The wipers on the bus go swoosh, swoosh, swoosh! Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh! Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh! The wipers on the bus go swoosh, swoosh, swoosh! All through the town!"

The older man inhaled slowly. JD's habit of bursting out into song wasn't nearly as annoying as last time, but it was only nine o' clock in the morning. Perry had managed to chug at least one cup of coffee before leaving, but that was around the time Newbie had come out of his room with clothes that did not match in the slightest. Dr. Cox had to go and pick out his outfit for him, which ended up costing them another five minutes or so. Not that he was in a rush to get there, but damn it – he was a doctor. He was practically trained to be on time.

"The doors on the bus go –"

"Newbie."

"Yeah?"

"I don't mind you singing, but it's _early._ Remember the rules from last time?"

JD hunched a little in his seat as one of his patented pouts began to form. "Sorry, Dr. Cox…"

Ah, hell.

"Okay, Newbie. You can sing, but how about you sing when there's actually something to sing _to_."

"What?"

As the older doctor pulled up to a red light, he took the opportunity to dig through the side compartment, hoping desperately that Jordan had left a couple of Jack's sing-a-long CD's for car rides. After just a few seconds of searching, Perry triumphantly came across the Wiggles album. _That'll work,_ he thought as he put it into the player.

He expected Newbie to be jumping up and down now that he actually had something to sing to, and because c'mon…what kid didn't love the Wiggles? But instead, the hypnotized doctor was just tilting his head curiously, blue eyes looking as though they were taking in a whole new experience. "What is this?" he finally asked.

"It's a sing-a-long, Newbie. You don't like them?"

"I like sing-a-longs!"

"Okay then, so what's with the question?"

"Who's that singing?"

"It's the Wigg – Oh. Right." Of _course_. The Wiggles weren't around for JD's childhood. No wonder the kid looked confused. Still, he'd probably like them if he could just sit still long enough to listen. "Just listen to 'em, Newbie. I think you'll end up liking them."

And he did.

After a solid ten minutes of Wiggles songs, the CD went to repeat, and JD had picked up on most of the choruses and even some of the verses as was made apparent when he started singing along. "Ride into town, walk down the street, get back in the car, and buckle up into my seat! Yes that's the way we do it, riding in our big red car!"

But the singing only lasted a little longer as Perry begrudgingly pulled into the parking lot. He looked at the Hypnotherapy sign and growled, which immediately caught JD's attention.

"Dr. Cox?"

"We're here, Newbie. C'mon…let's get this over with."

--

Once inside the waiting room, Dr. Cox went straight to the receptionist, JD right behind him. The woman behind the counter, Perry noticed with a bit of curiosity, seemed completely unphased by JD's behavior. The hypnotized doctor was currently humming cheerily while looking at a small pile of toys in the corner of the waiting room. They had been left there for kids, Dr. Cox knew, but he couldn't help but wonder if they'd also been left there for people who _thought_ they were kids…

While JD went to play with the wide selection of puzzles, Perry began filling out the paperwork. Now, one of the things that came along with being a doctor was the thousands of forms you had to go through and fill out on a daily basis, and up until this point, Perry would've sworn he'd seen it all. But this…this was by _far_ the strangest form he'd ever laid eyes on.

After filling it out with an expression that managed to look both amused and disturbed, Dr. Cox re-read the sheet in front of him, making sure he got it all right while still not believing how crazy it seemed once down on paper.

**Here to be hypnotized: **No  
**Here to be un-hypnotized:** Yes  
**Length of time patient has been hypnotized:** One day  
**Patient believes himself to be:** Five years old  
**Has patient been hypnotized before:** Yes  
**For what reason:** Accidental hypnotism. Believed himself to be five years old.  
**How long ago since patient's last hypnotism: **One month  
**Name of patient's caretaker:** Dr. Percival Cox

The rest of the form had consisted of the usual questions: Name, occupation, age, insurance, etc, etc. But that section was just…_bizarre! _

He gave it to the assistant with a slight nod before returning to his seat. God, he hated being here. He saw little point in returning to the source of how this whole crazy mess initially started. No. That was a lie, and he knew it. Carla _was_ right, of course: They needed professional help with this one, and this wasn't Mr. Edwards either. Still though…that didn't make him any more relaxed about bringing the kid to a hypnotist all over again.

After what felt like an agonizing amount of time to be sitting in the small waiting room, the door to the office glided open, revealing the doctor that Carla had so highly recommended.

Dr. Cox examined him closely as the man continued to look at the chart before him, undoubtedly the papers that held information concerning Newbie. The guy was tall, probably as tall as Perry. Short black hair lay ruffled on his head, while rectangular framed glasses sat comfortably on his face. He wasn't as old as the Irish doctor, but he still looked older than the hypnotized one. He was wearing a white lab coat, which Dr. Cox couldn't help but think was rather unnecessary, but it didn't look as though he was wearing it for pompous reasons. All in all, the man actually managed to look semi-professional.

But so had Mr. Edwards originally. Perry scowled as the man by the doorway flipped through another couple of papers, examining the file closely. When he finally looked up, he met the curly haired doctor's gaze and smiled. Dr. Cox quirked an eyebrow. It wasn't that overly cheery, vomiting sunshine type of smile, it was just…a smile.

Perry stood from his spot and crossed his arms, but not before flicking his nose for good measure. The black haired man approached him casually, holding out his hand for a solid shake. "Dr. Cox I presume? My name is Dr. Michaels. Pleasure to meet you."

While Dr. Cox would in no way label this as a pleasurable experience, he held out his hand to grasp the other's in a solid shake and nodded.

Dr. Michaels then turned his attention to JD, who was looking up at him rather warily, blue eyes filled with hesitant curiosity. "Well hi, there. I'm -"

Perry's eyes widened in surprise as the young doctor scurried over to where he currently stood. Dr. Cox looked down at him, eyes still wide with astonishment. "Newbie…?"

Perry really couldn't believe what he was seeing. The kid was clutching to his jeans, his face completely buried behind his leg. A small whimper escaped him as he tightened his grip on his rather alarmed caretaker. Was JD…was JD _shy!?_ He would never, _ever_ have guessed that Newbie was a shy kid. He'd been fine when being "introduced" to Carla, Gandhi, and even himself upon first waking up in his current state, but now that he stopped to think about it, it really wasn't all too surprising. Even if his five year old mind hadn't remembered them the first time around, his subconscious definitely had. Hell, he even managed to meet Mr. Edwards before the bastard went ahead and hypnotized him, so it wasn't very unusual that he hadn't been intimidated upon meeting him again when the man was dragged to his apartment.

But when Dr. Cox thought back, JD had never been introduced to anybody he hadn't met before being hypnotized into thinking he was a kid again. This was the first time, and JD was very and undeniably not the outgoing individual he had eventually grown up to be.

Dr. Michael's had taken a step back, allowing his new patient some room while doing his best not to intimidate him. When Perry looked up to get a read on the hypnotist's reaction, he was surprised at what he saw. He had expected the man to be busily writing his observations down on the chart. Maybe he thought he'd look a little disturbed; amused even. Anything other than the expression he was currently sporting, which was complete and utter normalcy. He seemed totally unphased by the sight that was JD clutching at his mentor's leg, unable to look up at the strange new visitor before him.

"He's a shy little guy, isn't he?"

Dr. Cox quirked a curious eyebrow, both at the hypnotist and his quivering protégé. "Apparently…"

Perry watched on, rather fascinated, as the man before him bent down to JD's level. "Hey there, buddy."

Another small whimper escaped JD, in which Dr. Cox decided it was time to intervene. He reached down, gently placing a calloused hand amongst dark brown locks. He knew he should be feeling embarrassed about showing affection like this in front of somebody he didn't even know, but the other man made the whole thing seem just so…_normal._ "Newbie," he began softly, "It's okay, alright? It's okay, really."

JD tilted his head back, leaning into the touch while simultaneously looking up into the reassuring eyes of his mentor. "Promise…?" he whispered softly, though it was still rather impossible for Dr. Michaels not to have heard.

Perry nodded. "I promise."

JD still didn't come out from his safe spot behind Dr. Cox's leg, but he managed to loosen his grip on the older man's jeans.

The hypnotist, still crouched on the floor at JD's level, looked up at Perry for confirmation. Dr. Cox nodded, silently telling him to try it again. "Hey, little guy," he said calmly. "What's your name?"

JD shifted against his mentor's leg, but still didn't respond.

"It's Johnny, right? That's a nice name."

Very slowly, very cautiously, JD peeked out from behind his hiding place; drawn out by the mysterious man's compliment. Dr. Michaels smiled warmly. "Can I ask how old you are?"

The brunette turned his gaze to the floor as he held up five hesitant fingers.

"Oh wow, you're a big boy, huh?"

JD flushed, and Dr. Cox had to admit…he was pretty amazed that the guy was able to say something like that without sounding like a condescending prick.

"I have something for you."

JD slowly lifted his gaze, curiosity getting the better of him. Blue eyes widened hungrily as Dr. Michaels withdrew a bright orange lollipop from his front pocket. "Would you like one?" he offered kindly, holding out the sugary item for JD to take. The kid looked up at Perry, who nodded encouragingly while still making sure to keep his face void of any identifiable emotion.

JD finally decided it was safe enough to take the lollipop. In a manner of seconds, the sucker was in his mouth, a noticeable calm taking over the kid's tense posture as he realized no one was going to hurt him. "See?" Dr. Michaels spoke again. "I don't bite."

The hypnotist stood from his place on the floor as so did JD, though the brunette chose to position himself safely behind Dr. Cox.

"Okay then, if you two will please follow me into my office, we can begin."

--

JD sat in the corner of the room, playing quietly with a new selection of toys that Dr. Michaels had provided for him.

It was finally time for a doctor to doctor talk.

"Well - 'Doctor' - seems this kind of thing doesn't strike you as unusual."

The hypnotist leaned back in the chair behind his desk, grinning at Perry's use of air quotes. "Had a feeling you weren't going to take me too seriously after reading your profession."

"Well kudos to you then, Doc, because your feeling was right on the mark." Perry actually didn't know why he was being this harsh. The guy didn't seem completely incompetent. Not only that, but he had gotten JD to abandon his shyness long enough to come into the office. Still…his last run in with a hypnotist had not gone over well for any of them…

"So," Dr. Michaels began. "Johnny thinks he's five, is that right? When did this happen?"

"For the record, 'Johnny,' likes to be called 'JD.' And as to when and how this whole crazy thing first started, that would be thanks to somebody in your particular profession. A Mr. Edwards, actually. And _that_ little event happened over a month ago."

Michaels raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Edwards…? He wouldn't by any chance have family members on the board of Sacred Heart, would he?"

Perry felt his own eyebrows climb at the question. "Yes, as a matter of fact, he would. I'm guessing you know him?"

"Personally? No. But after screwing up with your friend over there, he went on screwing up with other participants as well. It wasn't long at all until he was caught and had his license revoked."

Dr. Cox couldn't help but smile at this new piece of information. "Fantastic," he smirked.

"Why didn't you report him when he screwed up with Joh – JD?"

"That was a bargain I didn't exactly agree to, but Carla said that if he went ahead and babbled to the board –"

"Wait, Carla? Alright, so I'm taking a wild guess that you work at Sacred Heart. Otherwise, I doubt you'd know that Mr. Edwards was related to members of their board. So if you work at said hospital and know a woman named Carla…she wouldn't by any chance be a nurse, would she? Carla Espinosa?"

"The one and only. I'm guessing you remember her? She's the one who recommended you."

Dr. Michaels smiled fondly, and Perry had to wonder if - long before ever meeting Gandhi - that Carla and Michaels were more than just doctor and patient… "Who could forget Carla?" he asked genuinely. "She _did_ stop smoking, didn't she?"

"Never saw her with a cigarette, so I'm gonna go ahead and say yes."

"Good to hear, good to hear. Anyway, back to business – when did JD return to this state of mind?"

"Yesterday, and before you ask, the answer is no. There were absolutely no signs of the kid having a relapse."

"What was the last thing he said or did before returning to his current state?"

"We were at the hospital. I'd just stepped out of a patient's room when he appeared with a cup of coffee, one for me too. I was pulled away by the devil himself – Bob Kelso. If you're lucky, you'll never meet him – and then I nodded to let the kid know it was okay to go rest in the on-call room. Then –"

"Believe me when I say that I am curious to hear the rest of your story, but just one quick question: Who took care of him the last time he was like this?"

"I did. Why?"

Dr. Michaels nibbled on the end of his pen thoughtfully as he looked back over at JD, who was still playing quietly in the corner. "Just…never mind. I'm sorry for the interruption. Please continue."

"Right… Anyway, by the time I got away from Beelzebub, the kid had already fallen asleep. I tried to sleep myself, but my pager went off. Just half an hour later I got another page from Carla, informing me that the kid woke up thinking he was five."

"Huh…and he remembered you and Carla from the first time?"

"Yeah. He remembered one of the surgeons too, a friend of his. We noted that, that was kind of unusual…"

"Well, at least that gives me a sort of hint as to what took place then."

"Which is what exactly?"

"I think it's pretty obvious that whatever happened to make JD believe that he is five years old again happened while he was sleeping in your hospital's on-call room. A relapse like this is usually caused by a trigger; something said or done to send them back into their hypnotized state. The thing is, he shouldn't be able to remember you all; he should only have memories from just his _real_ childhood, but the fact that he remembers his last experience quite clearly tells me that the trigger was caused by one of the three people you just mentioned: Carla, the surgeon, or yourself. If the trigger came from one of you, then that explains why he so clearly remembers his experience from the last time."

"Then it'd had to of been Carla. She's the one who found him sleeping."

"Did she mention anything unusual about the way he slept?"

Dr. Cox thought, and it occurred to him instantly. "No, it couldn't have been Carla. She told me that by time she reached him, the kid was already sucking his thumb. So then Gandhi must've –"

"Didn't you say you were in the on-call room for a minute as well?"

Perry felt his eyebrows furrow and scowled. "You think _I_ did this?"

"On purpose? Of course not. No matter who triggered it, no one is to blame. It was an accident; a very unpredictable one as well. But if you were in the on-call room with him at one point, especially if it was before Carla ended up finding him, something may have happened. Did you say or do anything unusual?"

Dr. Cox clenched his fists. He _had_ said something, hadn't he? But Newbie had been sleeping at the time, so what difference did it make? No, that was stupid and he knew it. After all, a person was usually hypnotized while sleeping. Problem was, he could barely remember what he'd said to him. It was something casual, something light. Hell, he'd been exhausted himself. He certainly hadn't been paying attention to whatever it was he'd chosen to say. Damn it…this was infuriating! Was he really the one who had caused JD's relapse…? "I did say something," he finally answered, "But I have no idea what."

"Hmm…this is why I asked if it was you who took care of him last time. See…if you said something that you said to him often when he was last in this state, something you haven't said since he became _un-_hypnotized, then that could've been what caused it. Until you figure out what it was that you said, I can't help you. But when you do, please call me so we can schedule another appointment. Once the trigger is recognized, we can get him back to his adult self."

Dr. Cox inwardly groaned. He couldn't _believe_ he was the one who caused JD's relapse, but all signs were pointing towards him… Damn it! And how was he supposed to remember? He was barely conscious at the time! Damn it, damn it, damn it! "Well gee, thanks for all your help, _doctor,_ but I think it's time I take the kid home."

Dr. Michaels nodded, choosing to put Perry's anger in the category of overwhelmed frustration and let it go. "Understandable," he answered, and Perry seemed to pick up on the double meaning. He extended his arm to which Michael's willingly obliged, rather surprised that it was even being offered, and shook hands.

Dr. Cox turned back to JD, who was now looking at the two doctors curiously, head cocked to the side. "Come on, Newbie. Time to go."

JD stood from his spot tentatively, immediately walking over to where his mentor stood.

Dr. Michaels waved politely. "Bye, JD. You be good for Dr. Cox, okay?"

The brunette nodded shyly before turning to follow his caretaker out of the door.

--

"You alright there, kiddo?"

JD was sitting in the passenger seat of the Porsche, a faint blush still painted over his cheeks. He nodded silently, his gaze refusing to meet Perry's. The older man frowned.

"It's okay to not like meeting people, Newbie. God knows I don't like to…"

JD finally spoke, though the shyness from earlier was still very evident in his voice. "Dan says I'm a baby, but mommy says not to talk to strangers…"

"You're brother's an idiot, and as far as your mom goes, she's right. At least for now anyway. When you're…when you're older, you'll be able to decide who it's okay to talk to, but right now, she's right."

"Dr. Cox!" Newbie gasped. "You said idiot! Idiot's a bad word!"

Perry swallowed a grin, replacing it with an eye roll. At least JD wasn't acting so shy anymore. "Alright, Newbie. No more 'bad words.'"

JD nodded seriously before turning to the car's CD player. "Can I listen to 'Big Red Car' again?"

This time, Perry did grin. "Sure, kid."

As JD went about singing to his new favorite song, Dr. Cox actually found himself relaxing a little. He couldn't believe it had been him who caused JD's current state, but he was determined to figure out exactly what it was he'd said or done to make the kid believe he was five years old all over again. He had less than a week to do it, but he promised himself he would. But until he did, well…until he did figure it out, there was nothing left to do but to take care of Newbie. That, he suddenly realized, was a much easier promise to keep.

**_A/N:_**_ This chapter fought me the whole way through, but I hope you guys enjoyed it nonetheless. I wanted to make Dr. Michaels Mr. Edward's foil; a hypnotist that was competent – someone that even Dr. Cox could kind of bring himself to like. Again, I deeply apologize for how long this has taken me, and I thank you all for your encouraging words and your patience. The next chapter should be up in just a couple of days, so keep an eye out for it! Well, that's it from me. Until next time!_


	5. Chapter 5

**_A/N_**_: See? Told you I'd be updating quicker. lol Seriously though, you guys most definitely deserve a speedy update, what with all your patience and understanding from the last time around. And again, thank you guys for all the lovely reviews and messages. They really brighten my day. :) Well, enough out of me. Enjoy the next chapter!_

_**Disclaimer:** I own a very large nothing._

**Chapter 5:**

Dr. Cox sat on the couch comfortably, pretending to watch whatever game was currently playing on TV. In actuality, Perry had once again taken to watching JD. An hour after returning home from their scheduled appointment at the hypnotist's, Newbie had gone into his room and come right back out with a bunch of paper and crayons.

"You like to color, Newbie?"

"Uh-huh! My teacher says I color really well. I stay in all the lines when we get our own coloring books, and when we have blank paper, I use my 'magination."

"You mean, 'Imagination?'"

"Right! 'Magination.'"

Dr. Cox just grinned as he turned his attention back to the game. It wasn't surprising at all that Newbie was good at coming up with different pictures to create. If his five year old mind was anything like his adult mind in the realm of wild fantasies, then he would bet a million that JD's drawings had kept his teacher more than entertained.

When the young doctor started humming Big Red Car, Perry peered over at the piece of paper he was currently working on. "Whatchya' drawin' there, Newbie?"

JD looked up from his work, only to cover the paper protectively when he realized it was being looked at. "No, not yet! Wait till it's done!"

"Why?"

"'Cause it's a surprise!"

Perry quirked an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth turning into yet another grin. "Oh really?"

"Yes! Now look away!"

In any other circumstance, Dr. Cox would not enjoy being instructed by the kid on what he was and was not allowed to do, but the intentions behind the brunette's fussing were pretty amusing. "Okay, Newbie, I won't look."

JD nodded seriously before turning back to his work, picking up his humming in the process.

Ten minutes later and Dr. Cox was getting ready to go and grab a beer, but a very happy sounding, "Finished!" stopped him from doing so. The hypnotized doctor hopped up from his seat on the floor and ran over to his caretaker excitedly, waving the piece of paper like a golden ticket. "Finished, Dr. Cox, finished! Look at it, look at it, look at it!"

"Okay, Newbie. Calm down, there." Perry reached for the picture that was being held out to him. It didn't take him long to realize what it was supposed to be, or rather, _who_ it was supposed to be.

Two people sat happily in a big red car; one of them behind the steering wheel, wearing a long white coat and sporting something that looked like an orange afro. The other sat in the passenger seat, much shorter than the driver but looking just as happy. Dr. Cox looked up at JD then, who was rocking on his heels, waiting anxiously for some sort of sign that it was a drawing well liked. "Well?" he asked a little nervously.

"It's very good, Newbie. I like it." The older man went to hand it back to his protégé, who simply stared at the picture being given to him.

"I thought you said you liked it!"

"What? I do, I'm just giving it back to you. You want it, right?"

JD began to giggle then, his blue eyes sparkling now that he understood his caretaker's confusion. "No, silly! It's for you! I made you a present!"

Dr. Cox could feel his eyes widen ever so slightly. He had no idea why it surprised him. Kids drew pictures for their paren – for their, um…well, whoever was taking care of them all the time. This shouldn't have struck him as anything other than normal, but he found himself – God, was he really going there? – he found himself almost _moved_ by the gesture. "Thank you, Newbie. I like it. I do."

JD bounced at the compliment, smiling broadly as he went to his pile of paper to draw some more. "I can draw good monkeys, Dr. Cox. Do you want to see one of my monkeys?"

"Sure, Newbie," he responded, eyes still glued to his newest present.

JD went about his drawing, completely unaware that his mentor was planning on keeping that picture for however long he lived. In fact, to be perfectly honest, Dr. Cox probably didn't even know it himself.

--

"Dr. Cox? I'm hungry."

Perry was currently putting his clothes away; the long abandoned pile he'd been procrastinating from cleaning, hoping that eventually Jordan would take it up and do it herself. Which was stupid, he knew, because the woman wasn't exactly your typical housewife.

"Dr. Cox? Can you make me a sandwich?"

As the older man continued to put away his various garments, even he had to admit he had more than enough Red Wings jerseys to last him a life time. He wasn't particularly surprised that Jordan had taken some to use as pajamas. And besides, they _were_ comfortable.

"Dr. Cox? I want peanut butter."

Perry brought his hand to the bridge of his nose and pinched. It'd been a while since he found himself annoyed by Newbie's five year old mannerisms, but he already had a headache, not to mention he pretty much hated doing any kind of house work. "Listen, Newbie – I'll make you your lunch, but you ra-_heely_ have to give me a couple of minutes here, alright?"

A sudden idea seemed to come to JD then, as his eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "Oh, I know! How 'bout _I _make it!"

"No, JD. That is _not_ a good idea…"

"Why not?" he asked with a slight pout.

"Because –" and this is where he had to stop and figure out how to word his thoughts, because he highly doubted JD knew what "motor skills," were. "Because," he continued, "You're too young to use a knife, and you might drop it and hurt yourself."

"I'll be real careful, I promise!"

"No, Newbie. Just give me five minutes and I promise I'll make you one, alright?"

JD's pout came back full force as he slunk out of his mentor's room, mumbling a quiet, "Okay…"

--

JD sat on the couch, swinging his legs and peering at the clock every two or so seconds. He was _really_ hungry. He didn't like it when Dr. Cox was busy either. He wanted them to eat lunch together! Maybe he would let them eat in the living room and they could watch "The Lion King" again. In fact…if he went ahead and made himself a sandwich _and_ Dr. Cox a sandwich, they could start watching the movie the minute he was done with his chores! And then Dr. Cox would be so proud of him for making sandwiches all by himself.

A broad grin made itself across JD's face as he hopped excitedly off of the couch. He knew that Dr. Cox had told him not to make it, and usually, JD was very careful about following instructions, but this was okay if he was doing it for good reasons, right? Of course it was! And Dr. Cox would be happy too, which always managed to make the young doctor happy as well.

JD waltzed into the kitchen, still smiling. So, what did he need to make a peanut butter sandwich? Well, there was bread of course. The brunette looked over to the counter to find what he was looking for lying casually in its plastic bag. Bread – check. Now the main ingredient: Peanut butter. JD looked again at the kitchen counter, but was unable to find what he was searching for. Hmm…where did Dr. Cox keep it? He suddenly remembered the older man reaching up for the jar in one of the higher cabinets. JD frowned. That was a high place to reach, and he wasn't that tall (as far as he knew anyway) so that just left one option – he needed a chair.

After carefully pulling one over from the kitchen table, JD climbed on top of the wobbly piece of furniture. Standing on his toes to reach the cabinet's handle, he was able to pull it open just before losing his balance; just before falling to the floor with a gigantic thud, a sudden surge of pain coursing through his knee.

--

As Dr. Cox went about putting his clothes away, a very loud crash followed by another even louder scream sent the man's heart into a wild race. Perry immediately abandoned what he'd been doing, racing out of the room to follow the horrific sound that had his mind coming up with every worse case scenario in the book.

What he found there wasn't the worst case imaginable, but it definitely wasn't one he was relieved upon finding.

JD sat on the floor, clutching his knee and sobbing. Dr. Cox did a quick survey of the room: A chair pulled out by the kitchen counter, the half open cabinet with the jar of peanut butter lurking inside, the smear of blood on the edge of the counter, where JD's knee had undoubtedly first made contact when falling.

Two seconds later and Perry was kneeling in front of the crying brunette on the floor, doctor mode taking over completely. "Let me see it, JD," he said calmly.

JD's body continued to rack with sobs, his tears flowing freely as his shoulders continued to shake.

"C'mon, kiddo, it's okay. I'm gonna make it better, but you gotta let me see it. Remember the dog bite from last time? I can't help until you show it to me, so c'mon, Newbie…let me see it."

Very, very gingerly, JD removed his hands away from his knee. Dr. Cox instantly realized why it was the kid had been so hesitant; why it was he _still_ hadn't stopped crying. In fact, now that the cut was out in the open, the sobbing had only managed to get louder.

The wound, while not dangerously so, was still pretty deep. It was definitely in need of some stitches, and until Perry could get the kid to the hospital, he had a very big feeling the crying wasn't going to stop. Not that he was particularly surprised. JD's five year old mind wasn't just in pain from his newest fall, but extremely scared too. Dr. Cox couldn't help but wonder if in this state, the poor kid even knew what stitches were.

Well, there was only one hospital he would feel comfortable enough taking him to. Because at least at Sacred Heart, there'd be people that would know about their current situation, and Perry would be able to have some control rather than just handing him over to an incompetent doctor he knew nothing about at some hospital he'd never even stepped into.

Newbie would probably calm down if he knew who was working on him as well.

Dr. Cox quickly made his way towards Jack's room, searching through his protégé's duffel bag for some kind of hooded sweatshirt. He knew he'd end up carrying the kid into the hospital, and if people saw him, well…that didn't really matter, even if the majority of the people there had already been told it was his week off. However, if they saw a crying Dr. Dorian being carried by the usually angry Dr. Cox, well…that just would not work; for either of them.

Perry hurriedly made his way over to JD, pulling the sweatshirt over his head gently.

"It's – it's w-warm out…" he managed through tears.

"I know, kid, but I'm taking you to the hospital, and once we're there, you're going to have to pull that hood up until I get you into a room."

This new piece of information had JD's eyes welling up all over again, a fresh stream of tears pouring down his cheeks. "Y-You're leaving me at the-the hospital!?"

"Dear God, Newbie, of course not!" Perry sighed. "Listen, I'm not going to leave you, okay? I wouldn't do that. I'm gonna stay with you the whole time, and I'm gonna get Carla and Gandhi to help us out too."

Dr. Cox bent down to pick up JD, who seemed more than willing to be held by his caretaker. However, as the young doctor went to wrap his legs around his mentor's middle, his arms already secure around the older man's neck, the open wound on his knee brushed against the rough denim of Perry's jeans, sending JD into another new set of miserable sobs.

The older man found himself rhythmically bouncing the younger doctor up and down, rubbing his back in small circles all the while. He hated this. It wasn't just because JD wouldn't stop crying, but because he felt helpless when it came to calming him down. Feeling helpless and being a doctor, a _prideful_ doctor at that, was not a welcomed combination. "It's alright, Newbie," he whispered as soothingly as he could. "It's okay, JD, it's okay…" he repeated the words over and over until they were out and in the car. Perry pretty much sped to the hospital. It wasn't exactly an emergency, but the crying was really starting to get to him. What surprised him though was _why _it was starting to bother him. It wasn't because of how annoying it had the potential of making him feel, but because he hated how petrified JD seemed; how little he looked curled in his seat, head tucked carefully between the one injured knee and the one that remained undamaged.

After finding the closest parking spot, Dr. Cox went to JD and picked him up once more, but not before pulling the hood over the young brunette's head.

--

Perry was still rubbing circles into his protégés back, though being admittedly more subtle. At least by this point, the sobbing had turned into quiet sniffles with the occasional whimper.

Dr. Cox walked on briskly, face trained into a mask of indifference as he headed for the nurses' station. Relief coursed through him as he noticed Carla sifting through various files. He whistled loud enough for her to recognize the sound, but quiet enough as to not startle the injured doctor in his arms. She looked up at him, surprised, but then her eyes darted to the hooded young man he was carrying. There was only one person with that height and weight who Dr. Cox would willingly carry while simultaneously try to hide his identity.

He kept on walking, listening for the new set of footsteps to come and join them. She was there almost instantly; leading him to a patient's room she knew for sure would be empty. Once the door was closed and Perry did his own survey of the room before them, the older man placed JD down on the examination table. The brunette obeyed, though his arms refused to un-cling themselves from his mentor's neck, while his face stayed buried in Dr. Cox's shoulder, even when the hood was pulled down from his head.

"What happened?" Carla finally asked, walking over to rub the sniffling doctor's cheek.

"I think he was trying to get peanut butter. He pulled out a chair to grab the stuff and fell."

It took the nurse a second to realize why JD would even think he would _need_ a chair to reach the desired item. Well, of course he would! If he truly believed he was five, then he truly believed he was as tall as a five year old as well. The world through his eyes was a much bigger place now. The Latina woman turned her attention to the cut up knee and winced. When she looked back up at her newest patient, JD was looking at her; wide blue eyes threatening to spill over with yet another set of tears. "Aw, Bambi, that's a bad owie, isn't it?" she asked soothingly, bringing her hand back up to stroke his tear stained cheek. JD nodded sadly, the other side of his face still pressed firmly against Perry's shoulder.

Carla shook her head suddenly, realizing yet another question she wanted to ask. She turned back to the usually angry doctor and frowned. "And where were _you_ doing all of this?"

"I was in my room putting clothes away, and don't you even _think_ of giving me that look. It happens, okay? I'm not saying I deserve the best parent of the year award here, but –" Dr. Cox stopped mid rant, cut off by the stunned expression on Carla's face. "What?" he asked in annoyance.

"Did you just…did you just refer to yourself as JD's _parent!?_"

Perry swallowed. Damn. He hadn't meant to say that. Shit, shit, shit! "What? No, of course not! I just -"

But Dr. Cox was interrupted yet again by the presence of one concerned looking surgeon. "Hey, buddy," Turk said calmly, approaching his tiny Vanilla Bear. "Heard you hurt your knee, huh?"

JD nodded, a small sniffle escaping in the process. Turk turned to his wife. "Thanks for paging me."

"Of course."

"Alright, enough of the talking. Gandhi – if you'd take two seconds to actually _look_ at your friend's injury, you'd be able to tell that the kid is in need of some stitches. Think you can manage that?"

Turk glared at the older man. "I was able to stitch up your son's forehead alright. Why wouldn't I be able to handle this?"

"Just get to work, Milkdud. The kid's in pain and pretty scared, and I'd like to have him _not_ in pain and pretty scared, get me?"

"Are you gonna have to chop it off?"

The whole room turned to look at JD, his words being the first he'd spoken upon reaching the hospital.

"What, Newbie?"

The brunette rubbed at the eye that wasn't pressed against his mentor's frame, doing his best to urge away the tears. "D-Dan told me that b-big cuts need to…need to get chopped off. They saw off the part with the scrape…"

Dr. Cox rubbed a callused hand through his protégé's hair, ignoring whatever shocked look Turtlehead was most likely giving him. "No, Newbie. That's not gonna happen to you, alright? Dr. Turk is going to stitch you up. Do you know what that means?"

JD shook his head no. It was Carla's turn to start speaking. "Have you ever ripped your clothes and had your mom sew them up for you?"

"My clothes are always ripped. They're hand me downs."

The nurse smiled patiently. "Okay, what about toys? Did your mom ever sew up a toy for you?"

JD nodded solemnly. "Uh-huh. My teddy bear's ear fell off. Mommy sewed it back on."

"That's what stitches are like," Turk said, cutting into the conversation. "I'm gonna sew up the tear in your skin, and a few days later when we take them out, your cut will be better."

JD didn't respond. He simply tucked his head back into Perry's shoulder, his muscles tense and waiting for whatever it was they were going to do to his knee to happen and be done with.

Turk looked at Dr. Cox, who quietly nodded. The surgeon understood and went to get the stitches. A few seconds later and he was back, concentration aimed fully towards his best friend's knee. "Remember to sit still, buddy," he said while applying the numbing solution.

Now, JD tried very hard to listen to these instructions. He even attempted to take a look at what was getting ready to be done, but every time the needle got near him, he would automatically wince; his injured leg twitching with anticipation in the process. "I'm sorry," he murmured apologetically, turning his face back into Perry's lab coat. "I'm really trying…"

"I know, Newbie," Dr. Cox murmured back. The older man then peered down at the awaiting surgeon. "Gandhi, a mild sedative?"

"Right, I'll go get one."

When Turk came back this time, he was holding a cup of water and a small pill. "Here you go, buddy."

JD's grip on Perry only tightened. "What's that…?"

"It's a sedative, Newbie. It's going to make you less tense and pretty tired, but it won't actually knock you out. You might act a little out of it, but it won't hurt you."

"Promise?"

Dr. Cox nodded.

JD reached out for the pill and water and swallowed it down. Just five minutes later and Perry could already feel Newbie's grip on his lab coat slacken, a small little sigh escaping him as he did so. Dr. Cox took that moment to gently ease his young protégé down on his back. Sleepy blue eyes looked up at his own as Newbie's now free hand made its way to his mouth. JD sucked contently on his thumb as Turk continued the stitching.

"You alright there, Newbie?"

"Mmhmm…" JD nodded slowly, thumb still in place.

Carla walked over to him then, combing her hand through his dark brown locks comfortingly. "Does he do that a lot?" she asked with a small smile of amusement.

Perry followed her gaze to Newbie's thumb and allowed himself to grin as well. "Not so much last time, but he's been doing it a lot this second time around."

Suddenly JD's free arm was in the air, reaching lazily for the older man's curls. When he finally got hold of one, Perry stiffened. He didn't necessarily mind, but he wasn't used to people touching his hair, and he most definitely wasn't used to people watching, well…"softer" moments between him and Newbie... JD let out a small giggle as he intertwined his fingers between the red locks.

"I think he likes your hair," Carla commented softly.

Before Dr. Cox could respond with a sarcastic remark, JD let out another tired giggle. "Sheep…"

"Bambi?"

"Is' soft n' curly. Like a sheepy…"

Perry just rolled his eyes as Carla let out a giggle of her own. At least JD wasn't making fun of it…

Very gently as to not make the kid think he was mad at him, Dr. Cox uncurled JD's fingers from his hair, but as he went to place the kid's hand back on the examination table, Newbie grasped on to his caretaker's fingers. The only one to see was Carla, as Gandhi was still concentrating on his friend's knee. It was a good thing too, because the last thing Perry wanted was to snatch his hand away from the kid before him. Hell, even if Turk _had_ been looking, would he honestly have been able to bring himself to do that? JD let out another soft sigh. Turk paused from his stitching to glance up at his wife. "Calmer now?" he asked before turning back to his work.

"Like a kitten," she responded quietly, having once again taken to stroking Bambi's cheek.

After another five minutes of meticulous work from the surgeon, JD's knee was finally patched up. Turk stood from his spot and grinned at his job well done. When he was finally able to look at his best friend – tired eyes still hazily looking up at Dr. Cox, thumb placed gently in his mouth – he wasn't sure whether to be disturbed, to laugh, or to join his wife in adoration of the scene, as she was clearly enjoying the moment. "Uh," he finally managed. "His knee is done. You can, um…you can take him home now, I guess."

JD raised his arm again, but this time to point at an object that sat comfortably on the counter. They followed to where he was indicting to find a happy looking teddy bear smiling back at them. It had been there to help calm younger patients down. With all the fuss from earlier, both doctors and nurse had forgotten its presence.

"Would you like that, Bambi?"

JD nodded sleepily, unable to speak with his thumb still in his mouth. Carla went over to the counter and handed him the bear. The young doctor brought it to his middle and hugged it tightly, getting ready to fall asleep right then and there on the examination table. That's when Dr. Cox decided it was definitely time to go home. "Not yet, Newbie," he whispered quietly while picking him back up. "You can sleep in the car, alright? Let's wait till we're out of the hospital."

JD nodded silently as Carla went about pulling up his hood, realizing it was rather hard for Dr. Cox to do so what with his arms full of a dazed and hypnotized JD. Perry nodded his thanks to Carla and then, surprising both husband and wife, turned his attention to Turk. "Thanks, Gandhi…"

The surgeon could feel his eyebrows reach their climax. Did…did Dr. Cox just _thank_ him? "Uh…yeah. I mean, yeah! Yeah, um…no problem."

Perry nodded once more before kicking the door open with his foot and leaving the hospital, a very tired JD nestled quietly in his arms.

--

By the time they were back at the apartment, the sedative was already beginning to wear off, but it had been a long day for JD so far, and he was still pretty tired. Perry glanced up at the clock. Quarter after three. If Newbie took too long of a nap he wouldn't be tired around his actual bed time, but a half hours rest shouldn't affect him in a negative way at all, right?

"Hey, kiddo. I think a nap's in order here. Whaddya' say?"

JD nodded while rubbing at his eyes wearily, and Dr. Cox knew immediately that the kid really must've been tired if he wasn't willing to put up a fight over a much needed nap time.

Perry continued to carry JD until they were in his son's room, in which the older man placed him gently down on the bed. Newbie looked up at him, wide eyes foggy with sleep and mouth still busy sucking on his thumb. Was he waiting for something? Perry simply decided to say the first thing that came to mind, because in all honesty, it was true. "You were a very good patient, JD," Dr. Cox said quietly.

And that was it.

With those comforting words of approval, the brunette let his eye lids close. Dr. Cox stood and watched until he was sure Newbie was safe and sound in dreamland.

After flicking off the light and quietly closing the door, Perry landed on the couch with an aggravated groan, putting his head in his hands while swallowing a scowl. His frustration wasn't towards JD, but towards himself. He had almost referred to himself as JD's parent _twice_ today. Once in the recesses of his mind and once _out loud;_ in front of Carla, no less! A fear he had ever since JD's second-time-around-hypnotism began was coming to fruition.

Newbie's relapse was undoubtedly turning into his own.

The older man growled. When all was said and done, when JD was cured and back to his adult self, how was Dr. Cox ever going to get over the kid in his five-year-old state?

**_A/N:_**_ I had a lot of fun with this chapter. I don't know why specifically, I just did. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed it. :) Until next time!_


	6. Chapter 6

**_A/N: _**_Hey, guys. First, let me just say thank you for all the kind reviews and messages. I know I'm probably starting to sound like a broken record over here, but they really do brighten my day, and I appreciate every single one of them. Now, as far as this chapter goes, it's not exactly my favorite of the bunch. It fought against me quite a lot as I was writing it, but hopefully you'll like it nonetheless. Anyway, that's about it from me. Enjoy, guys!_

**_Disclaimer:_**_ I own a very large nothing._

**Chapter 6:**

The first thing Dr. Cox was aware of upon opening his eyes was the fact that he'd even been asleep to begin with. The last thing he remembered was staring blankly at the TV screen, wondering how on God's green earth he was ever going to get over Newbie after he awoke from his five year old state. He'd been tired from the day's events so far as well, and with JD sleeping safe and sound in his own bed… Oh, shit!

Perry sat up with a start, turning his head around quickly to stare at the clock. Five - it was five o'clock in the afternoon…damn it! JD had gone to sleep around quarter after three, and he was only supposed to sleep for thirty minutes tops. The older man growled as he stood from his spot on the couch. There was no way Newbie was going to be as tired as he needed to be when his actual bedtime came around later on.

Dr. Cox opened the door quietly, making his way over to the blissfully unaware JD. He was still curled in on himself, ever peaceful as he lay sleeping on his son's bed.

Perry shook his shoulder gently, feeling almost guilty for disturbing the serene image before him. "JD," he whispered softly. "Come on, kid. Time to wake up."

The brunette rolled over on his back to look up at Perry through hazy eyes. When he registered who it was, he smiled sleepily. "Hi, hi."

The older man grinned. "Hey, Newbie. Sleep alright?"

JD nodded, and while he knew it probably sounded pretty bad, the curly haired doctor had been hoping for the opposite. If the kid had, had a bad nap, then he'd be anxious to make up for it later on. Perry sighed, knowing that he'd have to come up with a couple of new tricks later on for sleeping, or at least pull out some of the older ones.

"Dr. Cox? What's a' matter?"

"Nothing, Newbie. You're fine. C'mon; out of bed."

JD obliged without a second thought. Perry watched as he stood from his comfortable position amongst the quilts and blankets, rubbing sleep away from his eyes all the while. It occurred to him only then that he had forgotten, or maybe even neglected, a conversation that was probably important for them to have…

"Newbie…why did you try and make that sandwich earlier when I specifically told you not to?" the older man's voice wasn't necessarily angry, though it definitely held an authoritative tone. His worry over the kid's knee had far surpassed the anger that was JD purposefully disobeying him, but at this point, he was really just curious.

It had taken JD a second to realize what it was his caretaker was referring to, but then he slowly dropped his gaze, looking at his feet like they were the most interesting things in the world. "'M sorry…"

"Newbie, I'm not mad at you, alright? I'm not. That doesn't exactly mean you should go around disobeying me whenever you want to, but…I'm not mad. Seriously, kid, it's alright. I'm just curious as to what was going on in that head of yours."

Still looking at his feet and shifting about rather awkwardly, JD started speaking. "Because I thought if I made you one too, you'd be happy, and then you'd have more time to spend with me and not chores."

Perry sighed, yet just as he was getting ready to open his mouth and respond, he cut himself off. What he had been _planning_ on saying was something along the lines of, "Kid, I'm sorry, but you're going to have to get used to me being busy sometimes, especially when I go back to work again." But that…that wasn't actually going to happen, because by the time Dr. Cox would be back at Sacred Heart, so would JD – one hundred percent un-hypnotized. Which was a good thing of course, but still…it bothered him how _easily_ he forgot that; how little time he had left to figure out what it was he said that caused JD to be in this current state of mind. Perry swallowed. "Yeah, kid…I don't like chores either."

The young doctor looked up slowly, waiting for something more along the lines of a punishment. When Perry only raised an eyebrow, JD relaxed a little. "I-I'm not in trouble?"

"You already got your knee banged up there, Newbie, and I think we're pretty clear on the whole, 'Listen to what I say,' rule now, aren't we?"

JD nodded vigorously.

"Okay then," the older man continued, "Then no. You're not in trouble. Now…what do you want for dinner?"

Perry bit back a grin as JD almost instantly perked up. "I get to pick?"

"Sure, kid. Whatever you want."

"Yay! I want spaghetti!"

"You got it."

After another all too loud "Yay" Dr. Cox began massaging his forehead. The nap had done wonders for the kid's energy. Tonight's bedtime was going to prove difficult.

--

After dinner, in which JD did a much better job at twirling the pasta around his fork than last time, the two doctors sat themselves down in front of the TV. Perry tried his best to find shows that he could tolerate while still entertaining Newbie.

One downside of the kid thinking he was five was his attention span, or rather, lack there of. Not to say he wasn't a sharp kid, but like most five year olds, it was hard to keep him focused on one thing for a long period of time. He was able to get away with watching the game when JD was playing with something in the living room as well, but now the kid wanted to watch TV too, and sports was just straight out _not_ holding his attention. And in since he wasn't in the mood to play with his usual toys, JD automatically went to play with the closest thing that caught his interest: his newly stitched knee.

Dr. Cox pinched the bridge of his nose as he caught JD pulling at Gandhi's handiwork for the third time in the last ten minutes. "Newbie, you have _got_ to leave your stitches alone!"

"But it's itchy!"

"I know it is, but if they come out too early, your cut won't heal up."

"It won't?"

"It won't. So you gotta leave it alone, okay?"

"Okay…"

It was five minutes later when Perry caught JD's eyes darting to his knee, and he had to admit…the kid was really trying to restrain himself. He'd look at his knee, then at the screen, then at his knee again; his hand visibly _twitching_ to reach out and scratch.

Dr. Cox sighed. "C'mon, Newbie. Follow me for a sec."

"Huh? Where are we going?"

"To the bathroom. Now come."

JD trotted after him and sat himself down on the closed toilet as the older man instructed upon getting there.

After rummaging through the various cabinets, Dr. Cox immerged with a fresh roll of gauze and a small roll of medical tape. Positioning himself in front of the brunette, the curly haired doctor went about wrapping up the injury.

"Whatchya' doin'?"

"Bandaging your knee," Dr. Cox answered as he placed a piece of medical tape over the gauze. "It'll keep you from scratching or pulling at the stitches."

"Oh," he said lightly, attention now focused on the rubber ducky peering at him from the edge of the tub. Perry caught this and rolled his eyes, though he had to admit…it was a little amusing how easy it was to lose Newbie's attention now. Still, Dr. Cox did well at not only catching the kid's attention, but maintaining it. This was something he allowed himself to be proud of.

JD jumped, the loud ring of the telephone breaking through the bathroom and crashing through his eardrums. Perry grinned, reminded of the last time Newbie had jumped at the same exact thing, sending his once proud fort to the floor in a messy heap. The older man patted the injured knee softly, steadying the hypnotized doctor. "Relax, Newbie. It's just the phone. Go and play for a while, alright? I gotta take it."

"'Kay, kay." JD hopped up from his seat on the toilet, bypassing the TV that only five minutes ago he was interested in watching to go play with his wide collection of toys.

Once Newbie was out of ear shot, Perry growled. Who the hell was calling him at seven o' clock at night? Okay, so it really wasn't that late, but still… The older man answered the phone on its fifth ring, irritated by the caller's persistence. "What?" he asked sharply.

"Don't 'What' me, mister."

Oh. Carla. Should've seen that one coming.

"Listen, Carla – I know this is going to abso_lute_ly blow you away, but believe it or not, I don't need to be checked up on every day with a visit or a phone call, so if you could just puh-_lease_ keep in mind that I'm over here taking care of a hypnotized Newbie, I'd rah-_heel-_y appreciate it."

"Settle down, will you? I'm just calling to see if you made that appointment yet. I would've asked you when you came in with Bambi today, but his cut had me worried. How's he doing, by the way?"

Perry sighed. "Kid's alright. I had to put a bandage over it to keep him from pulling at Gandhi's handiwork, but he doesn't seem to be in any pain."

He could feel the nurse's relief through the phone as he waited for her to continue speaking. "That's good. Tell him I said Turk and I hope he feels better soon."

"Will do. Well, bye Car –"

"Oh no you don't. You still haven't answered my first question. Did you make that appointment or what?"

Dr. Cox closed his eyes in quiet frustration, wishing she would just let the whole thing go. He understood she was just looking out for JD; wanting to make sure that he actually _did_ schedule something with the hypnotist, but geez…didn't she trust him at all? "Yes, Carla, I did. I set it up last night and was able to get him in there this morning."

"This morning? Wait…then why is Bambi still hypnotized?"

Damn it…should he tell the nurse the truth? That it was him who caused JD's relapse to begin with? "Newbie's still hypnotized because whatever it was that set him off still needs to be figured out, according to your good friend Dr. Michaels. Once we know what the so called 'trigger' is, we can go about un-hypnotizing him."

"Huh…" Carla managed. Dr. Cox swallowed. He could practically see the nurse's wheels turning, knowing full well that the curly haired man was purposefully leaving something out of the story. "Well, okay then…" she finally answered slowly. "At least you were able to get an appointment."

"Yes, yes I was. So can we please hang up now?"

Carla just sighed. "Fine, you win. You take good care of Bambi now, alright?"

"Always do," he mumbled.

He would later admit, however, that the nurse's response surprised him. "I know you do."

And then she hung up the phone.

--

It was eight o' clock when Newbie came out of his room, a large tub of legos being carried right behind him; JD's go-to toy. At first, Dr. Cox was unphased, but upon realizing what time it was, the older man inwardly groaned. This was the time of night that Newbie was usually getting tired, but now he was obviously energetic enough to start playing. He could always let him, of course, but then the kid's sleeping schedule would be completely off, and even if he woke him up in the morning around the time JD would normally get up anyway, that just meant that Newbie would be cranky until it was time to go to bed again. And while JD wasn't a bratty kid, Perry still didn't want to deal with that whole ordeal.

"Hey, Newbie? I think this is a bad time to whip out the legos."

"Why's that?" JD asked curiously, taking his seat on the floor.

"Because it's eight o' clock."

"My bedtimes not till eight thirty!"

"I know, Newbie, but you're usually getting ready right about now. You're not tired tonight?" He already knew the answer, but maybe if he asked it out loud, he'd get the response he was hoping for. But of course, his original theory was right on the dot, as proven when JD shook his head no.

"Alright, kid. Here's what we're going to do. _You're_ going to go in your room and change into your pajamas, but when you're finished, I'll read you a story, okay?"

JD had been getting ready to once again proclaim how he wasn't tired, but after hearing Dr. Cox say he'd read him a story, his blue eyes lit up with excitement. "Okay!"

"Good. Now go change and I'll be there in about five minutes, alright?"

The brunette nodded vigorously before getting up from his position on the floor, carrying his legos back to his room in a rush.

The minute Newbie was behind closed doors, Dr. Cox made his way for the kitchen. He knew it wouldn't be able to knock the kid out like last time, but it'd definitely help the process of calming him down enough to go to sleep.

After pouring the milk into one of Jack's sippy cups, Perry stuck it in the microwave. Once it was done and he was sure the milk wasn't too hot, Dr. Cox walked over to his son's room, knocking on the door quietly. "Newbie? You changed?"

"Uh-huh!"

The older man walked in, and while it shouldn't have surprised him at all, he suddenly found himself working very hard at containing his laughter. He'd forgotten about the various sets of pajamas Carla had gone ahead and bought for him. Last night had been ducks, but tonight the kid was decked out in bright red flannel with white, fluffy sheep scattered all over the material.

JD, in all his pajama glory, was currently seated on the floor, surrounded by a wide spread of children's books. He looked at them all in wonder, trying to decide which one he was in the mood to have Dr. Cox read to him. Finally reaching a decision, he picked up the book and held it out for the older man to see. "Can you read me this one?"

"'The Cat in the Hat?'" Perry suddenly remembered the book JD had been trying to read during his last visit. That too had been a Dr. Seuss story. Knowing that the kid had wanted to be a doctor ever since he was little, he had to wonder if his reason for liking the author was because of the man's title. "Sure, Newbie. I'll read it to you. Just promise me you'll drink this though, okay?"

JD looked at the cup being held out to him and pouted. "I don't need to drink from sippy cups any more."

Perry rolled his eyes. He'd forgotten about that since last time. "Alright, Newbie, but how about just letting it go for now, 'cause I can assure you…the milk doesn't taste any different in a regular glass."

The young doctor perked up at this. "It's milk?"

"Yup. Warm too." Dr. Cox waved it a little so that the liquid splashed around inside, making the kid look like he was just about ready to salivate. "You still don't want it because of the cup?"

"No, no! I'll drink it," he answered quickly, stretching out his arms to take the fluid in question.

"Alright then. Get into bed and I'll give it to ya'."

"What about the book?"

"Once you're in bed."

JD climbed under the covers in a hurry, leaving room for Dr. Cox to be able to sit on the side. Perry handed the cup of milk over to JD as he positioned himself in such a way where he wouldn't end up knocking the kid off of the mattress. It wasn't exactly a bed made for two.

After both of the doctors were settled, the older man opened the book to begin reading. He stopped though, when a sudden weight fell quietly onto his shoulder.

Dr. Cox looked down to find wide blue eyes staring eagerly at the book, the tip of the sippy cup placed between two thirsty lips. JD had never leaned on his shoulder like this. He'd buried his face there when he got scared, or accidentally fallen asleep on it a couple of times, but never fully awake like he was now. He looked so comfortable; so peaceful. It almost seemed as though Perry's shoulder was made for JD's use.

Dr. Cox shook his head abruptly. God, maybe Newbie wasn't tired, but he definitely was…

"Dr. Cox?"

Perry looked back down to find bright blue eyes staring up at his own. "Are you gonna read the story?"

"Yeah, kid. You keep working on that milk, alright?"

JD nodded, and with another quick shake of the head, Perry began reading.

Newbie made for a great audience. He followed along and giggled at all the right places, though sometimes, JD would forget that his mouth was currently full, and in the process of laughing at a funny moment, said liquid would spurt out of his lips, leaving small trails of milk as it slid down his chin. Half way through the story and Dr. Cox had to get up from his spot on the bed to go get some paper towels to wipe his protégé's face clean.

"Oopsie," JD muttered as Perry cleaned him up.

"You're definitely a handful, kid." The older man chucked the wad of dirty towels into the corner trashcan before once again starting up the book. Once he was done, he looked back down at Newbie. His eyelids were fighting to stay open, his cup now completely empty. Dr. Cox felt a wave of relief wash through him, glad that the story and warm milk had helped settle the young brunette. Still, something was wrong. Usually, JD would just go to sleep when he felt as tired as he currently looked. Why wasn't he nodding off yet?

"'Nother one?" JD asked sleepily.

"Newbie…I think it's time for bed."

"Please? Just one more?"

Dr. Cox frowned. Something _was_ wrong. The kid almost seemed afraid to go to bed. But why? The only other time that had happened was when he accidentally walked in on him watching "Nightmare on Elm Street." What could he be scared of now?

"No, Newbie," he stated calmly. "It's bedtime. Now c'mon."

Perry stood from his spot on the mattress, making his way for the door. A small whimper kept him from flicking off the light, and it was all he needed to finally understand what it was that was going on. He turned to look at his protégé, who was currently sitting up, staring at him, blanket wrapped protectively around his head. "JD, are you…are you afraid of the dark?"

JD looked down at his comforter, nodding slowly. "The monsters come out in the dark…"

Dr. Cox frowned. "I don't remember you being afraid of the dark last time."

"'Cause Dan told me that –"

"Oh, dear God, Dan again!?"

JD shrunk back at his mentor's tone, causing the older man to sigh wearily. "I'm not mad at you Newbie, just…you can't believe everything your brother tells you, alright?"

The young doctor nodded, though his eyes still seemed hesitant. He looked up to meet his mentor's gaze, his expression still clearly attempting to fight off sleep. "Can you…can you check for them though? Just in case…?"

If it wasn't for his anger towards JD's older brother, and the realization that he couldn't actually _do_ anything to stop the kid from listening to his sibling, seeing as how, _technically,_ it was years ago when his brother originally told him all of this, Perry would've found this moment slightly endearing. Not that he was happy to see the kid looking scared, but he'd much rather have him afraid of imaginary monsters than of much more serious issues he'd seen his protégé worry over… "Alright, kiddo. Where do you want me to check?"

"In the closest and under the bed. That's where they hide."

Perry made a show of checking both places, making sure Newbie was able to see that nothing was getting ready to jump out and eat him once he left the room. "See? No monsters."

JD nodded wearily, doe eyes hazy with sleep.

Dr. Cox walked over to him quietly, flicking on the nightlight as he did so. Finding the nearest stuffed animal, he handed it to JD, hoping it would settle the kids nerves. The older man pulled the covers up to the young doctor's chin, all the while ignoring the voice that mocked him in the back of his head. _He only asked you to check for monsters. He didn't ask you to tuck him in too._

Shut up.

"Wha'?" JD asked sleepily.

Crap, had he said that out loud? Dr. Cox shook his head, swallowing his annoyance long enough to talk to JD. "Nothing, kid. Go to sleep now, okay?"

"'Mkay…" It wasn't long at all till JD's breaths became deep and even, his thumb secure safely in his mouth.

Dr. Cox combed a frustrated hand through his mop of curls as he left the room. Minus the phone conversation with Carla, he hadn't once thought of what it was he could've said that caused JD's relapse since getting back from Dr. Michael's office this morning.

Perry turned towards his own bedroom, not really caring that he was heading in much earlier than normal. Today had been crazy hectic, for both himself _and _JD. All he could do was hope that tomorrow would be better. _Unlikely,_ he thought bitterly, but maybe JD's child like state of mind would out weigh the crap that usually made up most of his stressful days.

**_A/N:_**_ Sorry that this chapter was rather uneventful. Day two of their hectic week had to end eventually, so the next chapter will be the start of day three, not to mention the start of some crazy other events to come. ;) Anyway, hope you guys are enjoying this so far. Until next time!_


	7. Chapter 7

**_A/N: _**_Hey, guys! Let me start off by saying thank you once again for all the lovely reviews and support. I smile every time I see that someone is enjoying this, so never go thinking your review is overlooked. :) Anyway, before we begin, I think it's only fair to warn you guys that this chapter doesn't start off as light-hearted as they normally do, but Dr. Cox still has some issues to face, and it wouldn't be right if they went neglected, as they are rather important to the plot. Anyway, just thought I'd give you all a heads up before you begin reading. Enjoy, guys!_

**_Disclaimer:_**_ I own a very large nothing._

**Chapter 7:**

Perry rolled out of bed, more than grateful that morning had come. It was a good thing he decided to try and sleep earlier than usual last night; otherwise he'd be running on even less than he was now, due to very persistent dreams.

In the first one, Dr. Cox had been forced to adopt Newbie. He could remember telling people that it wasn't right; that, that would mean JD would be giving up the life that he worked so hard to get at, but everyone had waved a dismissive hand in his face, accusing him of just not wanting to take on the extra responsibility. This had managed to piss him off so much that he punched a wall, the fake pain of the dream stirring him awake.

The next dream had clearly been caused by yesterday's events. Dr. Cox had walked into the kitchen, right as JD had fallen. He ran over to help him, but the kid's knee had been ten times worse than it was in reality, and Newbie hadn't stopped crying. It grew louder and louder until Perry sat up quickly, looking around wildly to confirm that he was still in his room.

The third had been the worst, and yet the calmest of all three. What really bothered him about it was that it was bothering him at all. It started out so simple… Dr. Cox walked into JD's room, telling him to put his toys away. Newbie wouldn't, so Perry told him again. The argument lasted for a good five minutes until JD had finally turned to Perry, shouting in that childish voice that he couldn't tell him what to do; that he wasn't his real dad.

The older man had almost fallen out of bed upon waking up from that one, his face and torso covered in sweat.

That, he thought bitterly, shouldn't have bothered him at all. It shouldn't have bothered him because it was true: he _wasn't _JD's real dad. God only knew how long the kid's been wishing he was, but he wasn't.

And yet…while it was true that the kid's wishing didn't exactly bother him anymore, at least since their relationship had taken a turn for the better, he still never found his train of thought going there; wishing for it himself. Sure, he'd been more supportive since this whole series of events, and even before all of this mess, he'd played the role of father figure to the kid before. Nothing too unusual there. But even during JD's first hypnotism, when the kid had accidentally slipped up and called him "Daddy," it had really freaked him out. A lot. Actually… Perry thought back, trying to remember if the situation had ever again been brought up. It hadn't. He knew in a second it hadn't.

Was that one of the reasons why Dr. Cox was having trouble getting over JD's five year old self, even before he was re-hypnotized?

Perry combed a frustrated hand through his disarrayed curls, eager to get his morning cup of coffee. He'd think about it later; _much_ later. Right now, he was ready to enjoy the quiet of his apartment as the smell of some much needed caffeine wafted through the air.

After aimlessly flipping through the various channels, a whirring sort of sound alerted Dr. Cox that his coffee was done. He made for the kitchen, still in just his boxers, as he grabbed the closest mug and began to pour the much needed liquid in a hurry. Before going to take his first sip, Perry scrubbed a hand over his face and frowned. He hadn't shaved yesterday, and his five o' clock shadow was most definitely showing.

He looked over his shoulder in the direction of Jack's room, door still closed and absolutely quiet. He knew the minute JD got up he'd be needing breakfast, and then he'd undoubtedly want to play with him, though at this early in the morning, playing would probably just mean the usual gathering in the living room, legos and all.

Dr. Cox grunted. He really wanted to sit down and drink his coffee, but it would be better to shower and shave before the kid woke up, which would probably be pretty soon. He could drink his morning beverage when Newbie was eating his cereal – or whatever it was he'd end up requesting today – and be able to spend time with the kid, rather than leave him alone for an hour and a half while he did what he had to do.

Setting the mug down on the counter without another thought, Dr. Cox dragged himself to the shower, putting the water on as hot as he could stand it. At least showers were good for calming nerves.

--

JD stirred in his bed, the smells and sounds of morning softly telling him it was time to wake up. The hypnotized doctor rubbed at his eyes wearily, tired whimpers escaping him as he did so. After he was satisfied that he had gotten the sleep out of his vision, he turned his head towards the window, smiling as rays of light came shining through.

"'Morning, Sun! Get up, get up! Time to wake up, Mr. Sun!" JD sang softly but cheerily, remembering one of the tunes he had learned in kindergarten.

The brunette lay on the bed just a little bit longer, playing with the hem of his quilt. He didn't like morning's back at home. They were dark and lonely and no one was there to meet him when he woke. Mom usually stayed over at a friend's house the night before. She had assured him that whoever she was with was, "Just her friend," and he didn't get why it was made into such a big deal. Dan was usually still sleeping, as JD was more of an early riser. And then when his older sibling did wake up, he would occasionally grant him a few hours of watching cartoons together, but then he was off to whatever friend's house, and JD wasn't allowed to come.

He really liked mornings at Dr. Cox's apartment though. They were soft and warm, and it made him feel safe. The older man always made him breakfast too, and then they'd sit together in the living room and play, even if Dr. Cox rarely joined in. That was okay though, because he would still often turn to him and ask how he was doing, or ask what he was making. And sometimes he would even smile, and he would sip that stuff that made the apartment smell really, really good.

JD finally stood from his spot on the bed and stretched. After wiggling his toes, getting used to the feel of carpet on his bare feet again, he made his way out to the living room. At first, JD felt sad. Where was Dr. Cox? Normally he was right there on the couch, like he'd been waiting for him. But then his ears perked at the sound of running water and he giggled. He always wondered when Dr. Cox had his bath time. Realizing the older man took them before he even got up somehow made him feel special; like Dr. Cox was getting the stuff he needed to do out of the way. So he could spend time with him, maybe? JD wasn't sure if that was true or not, but he smiled. The idea of it was still nice.

The young doctor walked over to the counter, where the stuff – coffee, he thought he heard him call it – sat steaming in a weird looking machine. He never had coffee before, but it made the apartment smell amazing, and Dr. Cox always seemed a little cheerier after having a glass in the morning.

He was about to go back to the living room, to wait patiently for the older man to finish his bath time, when he noticed the neglected cup on the counter. JD approached it cautiously; hesitation clear on his expression as he peered carefully inside at its contents. The mug made the stuff seem darker; muddier even, but Dr. Cox always seemed to like it just fine.

Very carefully as to not make any messes (spills were hard to clean up) JD took the cup into his hands, slowly bringing it to his lips. The stuff landed on his tongue and slid down his throat, causing the young brunette to jump in startled surprise. He had _not_ been expecting it to taste like _that!_ It wasn't sweet like juice or creamy like milk. He didn't know how to identify it at all! He rolled his tongue around his mouth, sucking the inside of his cheeks as if trying to decide if it was good or not from the taste it left behind. JD decided it wasn't, but it wasn't as bad as other things he'd been forced to drink either. _Veggie juice is icky,_ he thought quietly.

Still, he wanted to drink it. It had that wonderful scent, and if he drank the whole thing like Dr. Cox always did, then maybe by the time he was done, he would start to like it too. Then the older man would pour out a cup for him in the morning, and it would be yet another thing they could do together.

JD took a big boy breath and swallowed another mouthful. At least it wasn't veggie juice.

--

Dr. Cox rubbed a towel through his wet curls, water dripping down his freshly cleaned skin and landing carelessly onto the floor as he stood in the confines of his bathroom. He had dozed off for five minutes or so in the shower, the hot water easing both mind and muscles as he let himself catch up on a few minutes of much needed sleep.

After a quick shave and finding the closest towel to wrap around his waist, Perry made for his bedroom to change. He stopped when he noticed the hypnotized doctor sitting on the living room floor, rocking back and fourth to the song that played on the TV screen. Damn, his hope was to be done before the kid woke up. Though JD seemed to be doing fine, even if he did seem a bit more fidgety than usual… "Newbie?"

The brunette turned his head around quickly, beaming when he noticed the older man's presence. He waved excitedly at his mentor, all pearly whites showing. "Hiya, Dr. Cox!"

Perry quirked an eyebrow. "'Morning, Newbie. You alright over, there?"

"Uh-huh! But I'm hungry. Can you make eggs? I'm in the mood for eggs. Eggs are very slimy, but when you cook them, they get fluffy. Did you know that, Dr. Cox? They do. It's true, it's true! I watched mommy cook them once, except she ended up burning them and they were really bad, but I ate them anyway 'cause I didn't want to make her cry, 'cause I think she felt bad. But I really like eggs, Dr. Cox. Can you make 'em?"

Perry's eyes were wide with bemusement as he stared at his happy-go-lucky protégé. He had _never_ seen the kid this hyper this early. It was definitely something else. "Calm down there, Newbie, okay? And sure, I'll make them. Just give me a minute to get changed."

"Kay, kay!"

The older man dressed quickly, but quickly just wasn't enough. By the time he was done and back in the living room, he was met with a bouncy JD, who was now jumping up and down on the couch, giggling and clapping at the show on TV – Sesame Street, Perry final recognized it as – and remained completely unaware that his caretaker had re-entered the room.

"Newbie."

"A is the letter of the day! There's an A in day! Hooray, hooray, hooray!"

"_JD._"

The young doctor stopped his bouncing long enough to turn and look at his mentor. "Dr. Cox, look what's on! It's Sesame Street! And before – you know what happened? – Before, Big Bird was going to visit Cookie Monster, but then –"

"Newbie – _settle down._ You've made it va-_hary_ clear that you got enough sleep last night, but my furniture is not a trampoline. Ya' get me?"

JD nodded vigorously as he sat back down on the couch, though it was obvious to the older man that the kid was just itching to get back up and continue his bouncing.

"Now, you wanted eggs, right?"

"Uh-huh! Eggs and toast."

"Alright, Newbie. You wait here and I'll bring you your food, okay?"

"Yup, yup!"

Dr. Cox just shook his head as he made his way into the kitchen. The kid must've slept like the dead to be as hyper as he was right now.

Perry opened the refrigerator, noticing instantly how little they were on food. He'd have to go out later and pick up a few things. He couldn't order out for the both of them every night.

Grabbing two eggs from their place in the fridge, he made his way over to the counter and started to cook. It wasn't until the aroma reached his senses did he suddenly remember the neglected coffee from earlier, and God only knew how much he needed that today.

Perry let the eggs continue to sizzle as he reached out for his mug. He'd been preparing to heat it up in the microwave, but much to his surprise, there was nothing there to heat up.

"Vroom, vroom, vroom! Up, plane, up!"

The curly haired man peered into the living room to find JD running around the couch in circles, imitating the cartoon plane on the television screen.

And then it clicked.

Dr. Cox stared wide eyed at his empty coffee mug, then at the over active Newbie, then at his mug, then at Newbie. JD, coffee, JD, coffee, JD, coffee.

Oh dear God, _no!_

"Newbie…?" he began slowly, fear of what he already knew to be true widening his eyes as he spoke.

JD stopped his plane imitation to look at his mentor. "Yeah?"

"Did you…did you drink my coffee?"

"Uh-huh!"

"Can I ask _why?_"

"I woke up and you were taking your bath and the air smelled really good and I knew it was because of the stuff you drink during breakfast so I tried it but I didn't like it but thought if I did we could do more stuff together and it wasn't as bad as veggie juice so I kept on drinkingitandeventually –"

Dr. Cox watched as his young protégé's words blended together, his mouth moving a mile a minute as the caffeine continued to course through his system. "JD," he finally cut in, "_breathe!_"

JD stopped his rambling to take a big breath, giving Perry sometime to think. What if that hadn't been coffee on the counter? What if he had left an open bottle of beer, or a glass of scotch? "Newbie, listen to me _very carefully,_ okay?"

JD nodded as he exhaled his mouth full of air.

"If you see something on the counter that I usually drink, do not, under any circumstances, drink it. Are we clear? Never – do that – again."

He was too hyper to look sad, but Perry noticed the kids shoulders deflate a little. "Are you mad at me?"

"No. No, Newbie, I'm not mad at you. I can already feel today's headache swelling at the base of my skull from your current caffeine high, but no. Just…don't do that again, alright?"

JD nodded, but the kid was already moving again, jumping up and down where he stood. Perry rubbed his forehead as he made his way back into the kitchen. He couldn't wait for the end of this sugar high.

--

"This is the song that never ends! Yes, it goes on and on my friends! Some people started singing it not knowing what it was! But then they kept on singing it forever just because! This is the song that never ends! Yes it goes on and on my friends! Some people –"

Dr. Cox closed his eyes in quiet restraint. Twelve in the afternoon and the kid showed absolutely no signs of coming down from his caffeine intake. JD wasn't even in the living room with him at the moment, but his voice penetrated through as he remained in his room, playing with whatever toy had caught his interest. And by God…if he heard that song one more time…

"But then they kept on singing it forever just because! This is the song that never ends! Yes it goes on and on my friends!"

Okay, he had to put a stop to those damn lyrics. Dr. Cox stood from his position on the couch and marched over to the door. "Newbie? I'm coming in."

"Kay!"

Dr. Cox opened the door, ready to tell JD to either pick another song or sing a _lot_ quieter, but his protégé's current position had his eyebrows shoot up in question, a grin threatening to peek through his features.

JD was on the floor and lying on his back, legs up in the air. His arms were extended towards his feet; his fingers stretched out as he appeared to be reaching for his toes.

"Newbie…what are you doing?"

"Counting my toes!"

"Is there a special reason you're counting them? Because I'm pretty sure there's ten of 'em, kid.

JD shrugged. "I just wanted to. Oh! Dr. Cox! Look what I can do!" The hypnotized doctor brought his legs to his chest as he suddenly rocked forward, doing a small tumble in the center of the room. "I did a somersault!"

Perry spared a grin as he stepped fully inside, taking a seat on the edge of the kid's bed. "Yeah, Newbie. Good job."

And then the most amazing thing happened. JD yawned.

Now it was Perry's turn to feel as though he could jump up and down in excitement, but he refrained. No offense to Newbie, but the kid's over active nature was really taking its toll on the older doctor, plus with the little amount of sleep he received last night… "Tired, Newbie?"

"Nuh-uh."

"I think you are."

"But I was so," JD stopped mid sentence, another yawn escaping him as he went to rub his eyes. "I wasn't tired a minute ago…"

"That's what happens when you drink a lot of caffeine. You end up crashing."

The brunette's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Crashing? Crashes go boom, Dr. Cox. I'm not going to go boom."

Perry actually chuckled at this. "No, Newbie, you're not 'going to go boom.' It's a different kind of crash."

JD didn't respond. Instead, he stood up from his spot on the floor as he wobbly made his way over to where Dr. Cox sat on the bed. Perry inwardly startled as Newbie laid down, knees tucked up to his chest as he decided the older man's lap made for a good pillow.

Perry knew it would probably be best to have the kid lay out on the bed properly before he completely conked out, but he suddenly found his fingers combing through JD's dark hair instead. "Thought you weren't tired there, kiddo."

"'M not…"

"Okay, Newbie…"

Dr. Cox continued to run his fingers through JD's hair. It wasn't long at all before Newbie brought his thumb to his mouth, his breaths becoming deep and even as he completely relaxed under Perry's touch, head still nestled in his caretaker's lap.

"Atta boy, Newbie," Dr. Cox whispered as he quietly stood from his spot, gently adjusting JD so that he lay on the bed properly.

As was appearing to be custom, the older man stared down at him for a moment before exiting the room. It seemed crazy to think that just moments ago, the kid had been doing somersaults, while now he was lying so peacefully beneath the baby blue quilt. Perry managed a grin before flicking off the light.

--

While JD slept, Dr. Cox contemplated their food situation. They had hardly any bread left, a couple of eggs, and maybe two cups worth of milk. Oh, and a half empty box of cereal. Perry sighed. He hadn't realized how short he'd been on food when he first brought Newbie home. Not that, that would've changed his decision, but he could've stopped on the way back to the apartment like last time.

Dr. Cox turned to the closed door of his son's room, combing a hand through his hair in contemplation. Yeah, he definitely needed to go out and buy some food, but should he take JD with him? Last time, there'd been really no way around it. But this time the kid was already settled into the apartment, and he'd probably get done a lot faster if Newbie didn't come along.

He'd have to get a babysitter though…

Perry reached for the phone, already knowing who he'd call to have come watch JD while he was gone. He was pretty sure her shift was over too, so it'd work out nicely.

"Hello?"

"Carla, hi."

"Dr. Cox? Wow, you never call here."

Perry rolled his eyes. "Listen, I need to go out and grab some food for me and the kid. We're running pretty low, so would you mind babysitting Newbie while I'm gone?"

Carla sighed as if frustrated, but Perry could see right through her to the mother hen that was more than excited about getting a chance to coo and coddle JD; having him all to herself. "Fine, Dr. Cox. But you owe me."

"Oh really? Because I'm pretty sure me taking the kid for a week earns me a couple of favors, don't ya' think?"

The Latina woman let out another small sigh. "Okay, you win. I'll be over there in fifteen minutes."

--

It was only five minutes later when JD woke up from his nap, stretching as he made his way over to the couch to sit next to Dr. Cox.

"Sleep alright, Newbie?"

"Mmhmm…"

A moment of silence passed before JD finally took note of his caretaker's current attire. Besides the usual jeans and t-shirt, he was wearing a light jacket. "Dr. Cox? Are you…are you going somewhere?"

"We're running pretty low on food, kiddo, so I'm gonna go out and get us some."

"C-Can I come…?"

Perry looked over at JD, his face twisted into that of curiosity. Something was definitely wrong. The kid's voice held a wary sort of fear that he seemed desperately trying to hide. "I'm only going to the food store, kid. Trust me, you'd be bored if you came."

"I-I'll be quiet. I won't ask you to buy me candy either, and if I have to go to the bathroom, I'll let you know, 'kay?"

The older man quirked an eyebrow. Something _was_ wrong. "Newbie, it's not about candy or being quiet, alright? It'll just be quicker if I go myself. Besides, I got Carla to come and babysit, and you like her."

JD opened his mouth to speak, a pleading look on his face, but the door bell cut him off from continuing. Dr. Cox stood from his spot on the couch and answered, greeting Carla with a nod and a thanks before turning back to his protégé. He opened his mouth to say something along the lines of, "I'll be back soon," but JD wasn't on the couch any more. A quick survey of the area showed him that the young brunette was currently sitting against the wall across from them, looking up at the two with watery eyes and a quivering lip.

"Newbie, are you oka –?"

"Don't go, please! I'll be good. I'll be really, _really_ good. Don't go, Dr. Cox, please. I don't want you to go!" And suddenly JD was crying, head buried in his knees and shoulders shaking hard. For a second, Perry could only stare, wide eyed. What in God's name was going on?

Carla quietly cleared her throat, actually managing to startle Dr. Cox. He looked at her for only a moment, but she understood instantly. The nurse stepped quietly into the kitchen, giving the two some time alone.

Perry hesitantly made his way over to JD, vaguely reminded of the kid's breakdown when the older man had lost his patience and yelled at him from last time. Dr. Cox swallowed down the memory. That time had been his fault, yeah, but he honestly didn't think getting the kid a babysitter while he made a quick run to the food store was going to be a problem, especially in since Carla was the one doing the babysitting. Still, JD hadn't said anything negative about her being there. All he really said was, "Don't go."

Perry bent down to the hypnotized doctor's level, reaching out to brush away a few loose strands of hair. "JD…look at me."

JD looked up from where he'd hidden his face, blue eyes wide and wet from tears.

"Newbie…what's wrong?"

"I don't want you to go…"

"I'm only getting food, okay? It won't take long, and I'll come back right after. Do you just not want a babysitter?"

"I like Bambi Lady," he mumbled quietly.

"Okay, so then what's wrong?"

JD sniffed, his tear stained cheeks turning pinker by the second. "I-If you go…if you go, you won't come b-back."

Perry's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Why would you think tha - ?" Dr. Cox suddenly blanched, the situation hitting him and hitting him hard. JD's dad…JD's _real_ dad… He'd left the kid and his entire family, and didn't come back until quite a while later, and even that was never permanent. But JD's five year old memories were clearly not at the point of his father's return.

Damn it.

"JD, I'm going to come back, okay? JD, _look at me._ I'm going to come back. I'm not…I'm not going to leave you, alright?"

Dr. Cox suddenly found himself with his arms full of Newbie, the brunette's own arms wrapped tightly around Perry's neck in a shaky embrace. "You promise?" he sniffled into his neck.

"You betchya', kid."

After a full minute of rubbing small circles into JD's back, Newbie finally let go of his hold on Dr. Cox.

"You be good for Carla, alright?"

The nurse heard her name, assuming correctly that it was her cue to re-enter the living room. "We'll be fine," she cut in calmly. "Right, Bambi?"

JD gave another sniffle before nodding his agreement.

"Alright, Newbie. I'll see you soon, you hear me?"

JD nodded, giving a little wave as he did so. Dr. Cox gave another small nod to Carla before leaving the apartment, praying to a God he wasn't even sure he believed in that he'd get what he needed to and come back soon, the image of JD's crying form still playing in his head.

--

Only ten minutes had gone by, and the young doctor was already feeling much more at ease. He brought a puzzle of various Zoo Animals out from his room, asking Carla if she wanted to help him put it together. The nurse eagerly agreed, feeding him tons of praise and approval whenever he got a piece right. A happy smile was plastered to the brunette's expression as he glowed and blushed from all of her cooing and compliments.

It was not just JD that jumped, but Carla too, as the Latina's pager suddenly went off. The nurse frowned in annoyance. Not even two hours after her shift and she was already being paged back to the hospital. Apparently, one of the newer nurse's had found it perfectly acceptable to clock out an hour early, and now they were calling her in to cover.

She was stuck. She couldn't just leave JD alone in the apartment, but she couldn't tell anybody _why_ she was busy. No, she had to answer the page, but who would be able to babysit Bambi while she was gone? Dr. Cox was most likely just now arriving at the food store, so he wasn't close enough to being done where she could just wait. Turk was in surgery all day, otherwise he would definitely be okay with coming over.

Of course, there was always…

No. No – Both Dr. Cox and Turk had made it very clear the last time that she was not allowed to know about JD's situation. But that _was_ last time, and it really was such a silly rule to begin with…

"Carla?"

The nurse smiled at the sound of her name in JD's childish voice. Not that she'd necessarily found being called, "Bambi Lady," bothersome, but it was still nice to hear her actual name every now and then. "Sweetie, I have to go to the hospital, okay?"

"The one that Dr. Cox works at?"

"That's the one. Now, JD, I can't just leave you here alone. Would you be okay with me calling another babysitter?"

JD looked down at his hands, fidgeting anxiously at a piece of loose thread on his shirt. "I don't like meeting strangers…"

Her mouth had been open, prepared to tell him that they'd already met, until she realized that those memories were currently void. "I think you'll like her, Bambi. And I'll even stay here until she comes over, alright?"

Slowly, hesitantly, JD nodded. "Okay…"

Carla gave him an encouraging smile before taking out her phone. The call was answered almost immediately. "Hello?"

"Elliot? Hi. I need a favor."

**_A/N:_**_ I know I took some creative liberties in that JD's parents got divorced when he was seven, not five, but once the idea popped into my mind, I couldn't seem to let it go. Anyway, guys, I know this chapter was rather long, so thanks for hanging in there, and I hope you all enjoyed it. :) Until next time!_


	8. Chapter 8

**_A/N: _**_Hey, guys! As always, I want to start off by saying thank you to all the many encouraging reviews and messages. I'm really stoked how many people are enjoying this story, and your words really are very much appreciated._

_Just thought I'd share with you guys also that I've finally decided that this story is going to have fifteen chapters. So after this chapter, just seven more to go! :)_

_Anyway, that's pretty much it for now. Enjoy!_

_**Disclaimer:** I own a very large nothing._

**Chapter 8:**

Perry trudged up the stairs of the apartment, balancing five large grocery bags in his arms. He was extraordinarily grateful that his back was deciding to cooperate with him today, though he hoped the very thought wouldn't jinx it. Not that he actually believed in jinxes of course, but still…

He was able to shift four of the bags into one arm while balancing the other on his knee, long enough to get the key out of his pocket and open the door. All of his maneuvering, however, had been for nothing, because the minute that door was opened and he was able to see who was sitting in his living room, all bags were dropped to the floor in utter shock.

JD sat on the carpet, wiggling his toes that were ca-_learly_ painted pink. He smiled bashfully behind his knees, a faint blush spreading through is cheeks. And there, for some _very strange reason _that he was _not_ going to let go until he found out _why_, was Barbie; sitting across from _his_ Newbie; giggling and cooing and being extra Barbie-ish.

JD finally noticed him standing there. He instantly jumped up from his spot on the floor, racing over to the older man in a hurry. Perry didn't have time to think before two arms were wrapped tightly around his middle, blue eyes looking up at him with a mixture of excitement and relief. "Dr. Cox, Dr. Cox! You came back! You promised and you did! I _knew_ you would." The hypnotized brunet nuzzled his face into the older man's chest. Perry pat him on the head robotically, still a little stunned by the image he'd just come across. It wasn't until a rather high, "Aww!" came from the living room did he snap out of it.

He glared over JD's head at Elliot, whose eyes instantly widened. "Newbie," he said quietly, but loud enough for the blonde doctor to hear. "Go in your room for a while, okay?"

"Yup, yup! Will you come in soon to play?"

"Just go in your room for now, alright? I'll come in soon."

JD nodded, finally letting go of his caretaker as he made his way for his room full of toys. He stopped to wave at his new friend. "Bye-bye, Elly!"

Elliot pulled away from Perry's intimidating glare to walk over to JD, wrapping her arms around him and kissing his forehead as she finally let go. "Aw, you are just so _cute!_"

The young doctor smiled shyly as Elliot gave him another peck on the cheek. "You be good, okay?"

"Uh-huh!" And then JD was off to his room, leaving a gushing Barbie and a very angry, older doctor.

"Dye job! Stop staring at the closed door like you've just sent your little boy off to his first day of school and tell me _what_ are you _doing_ here!?"

"Okay, okay. I know you're mad, but here's what happened. Carla was here with JD, but then she got paged because a nurse decided to leave early, right? She couldn't call you because you were still shopping and she couldn't call Turk because he's been in surgery all day, you know? So she called me because today's my day off and then she asked if I could babysit JD. And at first I was just like, 'What? Why does he need a babysitter?' But then she told me he got hypnotized into thinking he was five, which, you know…is pretty unusual, but once I got over the weirdness I was just like, 'Yeah! I'll totally babysit him!' because you _know_ I love babies, Dr. Cox. And okay, so he doesn't think he's a baby, but five's still little, you know? And not only that, but this is JD we're talking about! And how could I say no to that? So then I came over and at first he was a little shy but he didn't hide or anything. Carla rushed to the hospital and then I helped him finish the puzzle he'd been working on with her, and then he was completely fine with me babysitting him! And oh my God, Dr. Cox, seriously! How could you guys not let me know he was like this!? He's so adorable now! I just want to pinch his cheeks! Actually, I already did that, so really –"

"BARBIE!"

Elliot let out a little squeak before closing her mouth, staring wide eyed at her superior. He still seemed angry, but at least his gaze was just a _little_ less intense since he first noticed her there.

"Now, as much as I'd like to tear you a new one, I'm afraid that this situation is _technically_ not your fault, though it does appear I'm going to have to have a long conversation with Carla…"

Elliot paled, fear for one of her best friends glistening beneath her eyes. At least Carla would be able to take whatever crap he threw her way.

"However, just because you didn't cause this current situation yourself does _not_ mean I am going to let you go without a lecture."

"A l-lecture…?"

"You heard me, Blondie – a lecture. Or rather, a set of rules. Mind you, there aren't many, but it is vee-_heary_ important that you listen to _all_ of them. And if you don't, there will most de-_hefinitely_ be consequences. Are we clear?"

She nodded vigorously.

"Very good. Rule 1: You are not to tell _a single soul_ about Newbie's current condition. Not a one. Not even when he's _un-_hypnotized. Get me?"

Elliot made a motion of zipping her lips, throwing away the key in a cartoon like fashion. Perry rolled his eyes and continued.

"Rule 2: You are to never, ne-_hever_, tell Newbie he was in this state of mind. _Ever._ If you feel your over glossed lips getting ready to flap away then you find either Carla or Gandhi and yak it up, but you better do it out of Newbie's hearing range, you understand me? He is not to know about this."

"But wh - ?"

Dr. Cox let out an ear piercing whistle, causing Elliot to jump. "No questions! I'm not yelling at you for being here, so I think it's fair enough that you take these rules and listen to every one of them. And guess what, Barbie? Those were the rules. Only two. Simple, am I right? Don't answer. I know I'm right. Now get your stuff and get out. I have food to feed to what I'm guessing is a very hungry Newbie."

Elliot nodded briskly before making her escape out of the door. She was stopped when a calloused hand caught her wrist. She looked up at the curly haired doctor, wide eyed and a little fearful. "Dr. Cox?"

She watched, confused, as the older man opened and closed his mouth, as if whatever he was trying to say physically pained him. Perry's jaw was suddenly very tight, and Elliot couldn't help but wonder how he was even managing to speak at this point.

"I…thank you. For looking after him. Just don't…you better listen to those rules, alright? He doesn't need that. He doesn't need to feel humiliated."

Elliot's eyes widened even more. Was she hearing right? Was Dr. Cox really trying to protect JD? She _had _noticed a change in their relationship at the hospital over the past month or so. The both of them seemed much more at ease around each other, and when JD made references to Dr. Cox being his mentor, the older man never flicked his ear or told him to shut up. Now that she really thought about it, she couldn't even remember the last time he called him a girl's name.

Elliot smiled lightly, her blue eyes going back to their normal size. "I won't tell him, Dr. Cox. Or anybody else either."

Perry gave a curt nod, and then Elliot was out of the apartment.

--

After picking up the spilled grocery bags and putting all the food in its proper place, Dr. Cox made his way to JD's door and knocked.

"Come in!" he shouted enthusiastically.

Perry walked into the room and frowned. He'd forgotten about the pink toe nails he had spotted upon first coming into the apartment. And was that a freaking _ribbon_ in his hair? God, if this had been two months ago, he would've taken pictures, and he would have had every rhyme and reason to continue on calling him a girl. But it wasn't two months ago. It was here and now, and he had a feeling that JD's current get up wasn't exactly of his own doing… "So what's up with the pink toenails, kid?"

JD flushed a little. "Elly asked if I wanted to play dress up. I said yes because I thought she meant the kind of dress up that we played the last time I was here."

Perry furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, but nodded when he realized that JD meant when he had found Dr. Cox's lab coat and put it on.

JD took his nodding as a sign to continue. "But then she took out this sparkly bag and wanted to paint my toenails, and she said the ribbon looked good in my hair."

"You could've told her you didn't want to dress like a girl, Newbie…"

"But she was nice and called me cute!"

Perry rolled his eyes. "Did she even say what made her want to do that?"

"'For funsies,'" he answered, clearly quoting her. Dr. Cox pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. He hadn't realized how much time Barbie and Jordan were apparently spending together. Perry walked over and snatched the bow from JD's hair, ruffling it up for good measure. Newbie giggled as he did so, even causing Perry to smile. The waves of relief he was getting from JD since coming back from the grocery store was palpable. The kid had seriously been worried that he wasn't going to show…

"Alright, Newbie. Let's get that stuff off your toes and then we can have dinner. Whaddya' say?"

JD's stomach let out an excited growl as he jumped from his spot on the rug, nodding to his mentor's suggestion as he followed him out of the door.

--

It was seven thirty at night when JD emerged from his room, wearing a brand new set of pajamas; deep blue flannel covered in light green fish.

Perry looked away from the television to look at Newbie's new attire, grinning as the kid took a seat next to him on the couch. "You gettin' tired there, kiddo?"

"Nope."

Dr. Cox quirked an eyebrow. He expected that answer the other night, but tonight there was no reason the kid shouldn't have been ready for sleep. He looked at JD's expression, wondering if he was just denying it, but his eyes did seem pretty alert.

It was when JD went to his room to bring out various tubs of play dough did Perry decide to interfere. "Kid, it's getting late. I wouldn't bother with –"

"_Nooo,_" he whined in response, cutting the older man off.

The Irishman scowled. "Don't cut me off, JD. And don't whine either."

He watched as the kid began to pout, bringing his hand down hard into the small ball of play dough. Dr. Cox didn't like this… Last time Newbie had gotten angry like this, it was because he actually _was _tired. All it'd taken was a ten minute car ride through the rain. Even the other night when he really wasn't tired enough for bed, he eagerly agreed to get ready, just as long as Perry read to him. So what was going on now? "Do you want me to read to you, Newbie?"

"No!" JD's hand smashed against another ball of the clay like goo. He hadn't really screamed, but the word "no" had definitely been said with a bit of emphasis. What was wrong with him? The kid wasn't exactly prone to throwing tantrums, and he'd been so good all day. Hell, he'd been good the entire week, at least until this point.

"JD…"

"Why do you get to stay up and I don't? It's not fair! I can do that too! I'm a big boy, Dr. Cox."

Perry's eyes widened. Was that really it? Was JD just having a, "I'm a big kid now," moment? It wasn't uncommon amongst five year olds, and at least the hypnotized doctor wasn't yelling and stomping his feet, but his voice was most definitely edgier than normal, and Dr. Cox wasn't particularly enjoying it.

"I stay up late because I'm an adult. My body can handle it. You're still little, which means you need more sleep. Its normal, Newbie. You don't have to get all mad about it."

"I'm not mad," JD muttered, and Dr. Cox had to roll his eyes at how untrue that statement sounded in the kid's current tone of voice. The whole situation was still weird though… Sure, this sort of thing was common. Most kid's had a tendency to complain about their bed time, at least once. But Perry couldn't help but wonder if JD's reasoning was more than just the usual, "I want to stay up too." Something seemed out of place, like he wasn't getting the whole truth from him.

But whatever the reason, one thing remained clear: The kid needed sleep, and he had a feeling that warm milk and a story wasn't going to cut it tonight. "Newbie, I don't know what's running through that head of yours, but it's important to stick to your bedtime. So c'mon, get moving."

"But I don't _need_ a bedtime anymore! I can do it, really! I can stay up and not be cranky and be really, really good."

"Newbie, you're cranky right now…"

"No I'm not!"

Perry spared a glance at the clock. Eight at night. Hmm…he could _technically_ give the kid what he wanted, while still managing to get the lesson across that his bedtime wasn't just for nothing. Dr. Cox grinned mischievously. "Okay, Newbie, I'll make you a deal. If you can stay up till midnight without falling asleep, they'll be no more bedtimes. How about it?"

At first JD looked nervous. "_Midnight?_"

"Yup, midnight. If you can't do it, you could always go to bed now and –"

"No! No, I'll do it! You're staying up too though, right?"

Perry frowned, wondering vaguely why that would make a difference. "Yeah, I'll be up."

"Okay, I'm gonna do it too!"

Dr. Cox nodded and JD made the gesture back. The deal was made.

--

Perry was admittedly impressed.

He had given Newbie till nine, maybe nine-thirty, to conk out completely and go to bed, but the kid hung in there. At one point, Dr. Cox had gotten up to use the bathroom. When he came back, JD was under the kitchen table, knees curled up to his chest and looking like he was getting ready to go to sleep. When he noticed the older man's presence, he snapped his head back up, threw on a smile, and crawled out from under his hiding place. Perry wasn't able to suppress his grin as the kid followed him back to the living room. He'd clearly been trying to get a few seconds of sleep in before Dr. Cox noticed him, just so he wouldn't lose the bet.

It was now ten o' clock though, and JD's head wouldn't stop bobbing. His eyes remained open, but they were puffy and red rimmed. Part of it was amusing; seeing the kid work so hard over such a little bet. But part of it upset Dr. Cox. Newbie looked so damn tired. Why wouldn't he just go to sleep? When did his bedtime become such a big deal?

And suddenly it wasn't funny anymore. Maybe JD's body wasn't, but his mind was most definitely that of a five-year-olds. He needed his sleep. It was important. Dr. Cox wasn't sure if this sudden determination was his parental instincts or what he knew as a doctor. Probably both. Whatever it was, it didn't really matter. He just needed to get the kid to bed.

How though? If he offered to read JD a story or try to give him some milk, Newbie would only get mad and say no. Perry knew "The Lion King," was good for making him tired, but that didn't seem to happen till the end of the movie, and that was too much extra time for the brunet to be awake.

A video though…a video _could_ work. They were watching TV anyway, since Newbie had given up on concentrating on any of his toys. He was now staring sleepily at the screen, eyes often losing focus as his head continued to bob.

"You wanna watch a movie, kiddo?"

JD turned to his mentor and blinked lazily. "Wha'?"

"A movie," he repeated, taking note of how slurred Newbie's voice was. "You wanna watch one?"

JD nodded, letting out a little, "Mmkay," as he did so.

Dr. Cox stood up from his couch and made his way over to the DVD stand. He had _completely_ forgotten about Jack's Good Night Sing-a-Long movie. It was fifteen minutes of a cartoon moon and cartoon sheep singing soft lullabies, telling the intended audience how they couldn't wait to go to sleep themselves.

By the time Perry found the video, JD had quietly made his way back beneath the kitchen table. His chin was resting on the top of his knees, most likely in an attempt at keeping his head up. Dr. Cox watched his eye lids droop then snap back open. This happened at least five times before Perry let out a soft whistle. JD did all he could do to focus back on his mentor, eyes still struggling to stay open.

The Irishman waved the video in his hand. "Found a good movie. You still wanna watch?"

"I don't wanna get up…"

Dr. Cox nodded, happy that he was at least tired enough to admit it. "You can stay there and watch it, alright?"

JD nodded as Perry popped the DVD into its player.

Five minutes in and Newbie had crawled out from underneath the table, dragging himself to the screen for a better look at the soft glowing moon. Perry watched as he made himself comfortable on the floor, right in front of the TV. He rocked slowly, back and forth, to the various lullabies being sung, causing a slight grin to play on the curly haired doctor's face.

It was when the cartoon moon gave a happy, "Nighty night, kids!" did JD finally respond. "Nighty night, moon."

And then he was out like a light.

Perry quietly stood from his place on the couch. After quickly turning off the TV, Dr. Cox turned to his curled up protégé, whose thumb was now nestled securely inside of his mouth. Very gently so as not to wake him up, the older doctor picked him up off of the floor, carrying him safely to his room.

As he laid Newbie down on his son's bed, getting ready to tuck him in, a small sniffle grabbed his attention. Perry pulled away from the young doctor to see blue eyes staring back at him, hazy but open. Damn it, he'd been so careful not to wake him up! But JD didn't look mad or angry or ready to throw a tantrum. He just looked…sad. "Newbie…?"

"I couldn't do it…" he mumbled sleepily.

"Newbie, it's okay, alright? You'll be able to stay up late when you're…when you're older. But it's not a bad thing to have a bed time, kid."

"I know."

Perry raised a questioning eyebrow. "You know?"

"I don't mind having a bed time. I get sleepy at night so it's okay. It's just…_you_ stay up late, and I-I really…"

Dr. Cox swallowed. Hard. He knew what was coming next. He should've seen it earlier. If the grown up JD wasn't afraid of admitting it, why would little JD be any different?

"I really wanna be like you," he finally managed to say. Tears gathered in JD's eyes, threatening to spill over, as he let out another small sniffle.

At first, the older man really didn't know how to respond. His tongue felt thick and awkward in his mouth. He'd always secretly loved the fact that Newbie strived to be like him, but he didn't want JD to become _exactly_ like him either: jaded, bitter, easy to anger… Of course, he'd never said any of this to his protégé. Even since their relationship took a turn for the better, he'd never once said it. Not on purpose, it just…it just never really came up.

But now doe blue eyes, filled with need and exhaustion, were staring up at him, waiting. The only thing that came to mind was the truth. Perry swallowed and spoke. "I like you like you, JD."

"Really?" he asked sleepily.

"Really."

"I like you like you too, Dr. Cox."

"Yeah, kid, I know you do."

Perry watched as JD finally let sleep claim him, his mind drifting off to dreamland as his thumb found it's way back inside his mouth.

**_A/N:_**_ I actually had a lot of fun writing Elliot's massive explanation. I usually avoid writing her, as I don't think I'm particularly good with that character, but I kind of liked this one. lol Anyway, that's enough out of me. Hope you guys enjoyed it. Until next time! :)_


	9. Chapter 9

**_A/N: _**_Hey, guys! First and foremost, thank you all again for the encouraging reviews and messages. They make me smile like a kid on Christmas. :) Second, and rather important, I am going to be _crazy_ busy these next two weeks. I'm going to try extremely hard to get these chapters up here, but I may not have as much time for writing as I'd like. After these coming two weeks though, everything should be much calmer, so no worries there, but I'm still going to try and do my best at getting stuff up here. If it takes me longer than usual however, please bear with me. Anyway, that's really about it from me. Enjoy, guys!_

**_Disclaimer:_**_ I own a very large nothing._

**_Warning:_**_ If reading about throwing up makes you sick, you might not want to read this chapter. lol (Seriously though, if it bothers you and you honestly can't read it, message me and I'll give you a summary of what happened. It's really not graphic though, so hopefully it won't cause any stomachs to turn)_

**Chapter 9:**

Dr. Cox lay stretched out on the couch, enjoying his morning cup of coffee. He'd gone to bed almost instantly last night, making up for his dream filled mind from the night before. JD, of course, was still sleeping. It was normal for Perry to be up before his young protégé, so he didn't give it much thought as he continued to flip through the channels.

Thirty minutes passed and still no sound came from JD's new bedroom. Perry looked to the door, expecting to see the kid standing there, decked out in his pajamas and giving him that still kind-of-tired smile. But the door remained closed as silence continued to carry on through out the apartment. Dr. Cox shook his head. He was being stupid. Of _course _JD was going to sleep in a little later, what with last night's "no more bedtime" event. With that in mind, Perry turned back to the low hum of the TV, staring at whatever game he'd decided upon watching…

But then another thirty minutes passed, and Dr. Cox was no longer able to ignore the slow but demanding flip of his stomach that was urging him to get up and check on the kid.

Perry stood from his spot on the couch, walking to the door in a hesitant sort of manner. When he finally knocked, he was only met with more quiet. Worry was now reaching his expression as the older man turned the knob, opening the door and making his way over to a seemingly asleep JD.

The closer he got, however, the better he was able to see Newbie's current position on the bed. He was curled up, but not in his usual way. His eyes were shut, but they appeared to be forced shut rather than closed from sleep, as if the person in question was in pain. His thumb wasn't in his mouth, because both arms were wrapped tightly around his stomach.

Dr. Cox was standing over him now, his eyebrows furrowed in concern. This didn't look good.

As he was getting ready to reach over to gently shake him awake, JD seemed to sense his presence. He let out a small whimper as his eyes fluttered open, blue eyes still drenched in sleep, but something else as well. "Dr. Cox?"

"Newbie…you okay, kid?"

JD shook his head no, arms going tighter around his middle. "It hurts…"

"What hurts?"

"Tummy."

Perry scrubbed a hand over his face, preparing for what was to come. Kids had been coming in left and right just a couple of days before Newbie's relapse, all with the stomach flu. Thankfully, it had only been a twenty-four hour bug, but it was looking as though JD was the virus' next victim.

"Newbie, I'm gonna need you to get out of bed, okay? You need to be in the bathroom right now."

"But it hurts," he whimpered again, closing his eyes to block out the nausea.

"I know it hurts, Newbie. And I'm going to stay with you, alright? But you really should be in the bathroom right now, at least for the first round…"

JD opened his eyes again, looking rather confused. "Why? What's in the bathroom?"

Another thought struck Dr. Cox then. A lot of the kids that came in had never thrown up before. Well, they had when they were infants obviously, but they'd never gotten a stomach virus; had never thrown up when they'd be able to remember it afterwards. Perry cringed. It was never a fun thing, but to experience it for the first time? That was even worse. Upon seeing JD's confusion, the older man realized that Newbie, at least in his current state of mind, probably had no memory of ever throwing up himself.

"You're going to throw up, JD, and it's not going to be fun."

JD's eyes widened, and Dr. Cox wished he had worded his last statement a little bit better. "'Throw up?'" the brunet finally repeated. "Like when Dan had _his_ tummy ache?"

Dr. Cox nodded. "We need to get you up and into the bathroom. I'm gonna stay with you, alright? I am. But we really gotta get you in there."

JD nodded painfully, another small whimper escaping him as he let the older man help him up and out of bed. The hypnotized doctor let out a tiny noise of protest as Perry half walked, half dragged Newbie into the bathroom. "Hurts," he mumbled again.

"I know, kid," he responded quietly, setting JD down on the linoleum floor, right next to the toilet seat. "Believe it or not, your stomach has a better chance of feeling better _after_ you throw up, at least in a case like this."

"Will throwing up hurt?"

Dr. Cox grimaced. It was actually a rather hard question to answer. After all, people disliked it not because of the pain, even if it did sometimes leave your throat stinging afterwards, but because of how utterly disgusting it was; how nauseous it made you feel. "It's not really that kind of hurt, Newbie," he finally answered.

JD suddenly paled, and Dr. Cox could hear the rapid churning of the younger doctor's stomach. He had his mouth open, ready to tell him that it was going to be okay, but JD's head was already half way in the toilet bowl, his body heaving forward while miserable sobs escaped him.

Perry put a hand to JD's back, rubbing soothing circles against the flannel of his pajamas. He hated this. It wasn't the vomit, of course. As a doctor, he was more than used to it. But it was seeing JD looking so horrified; so sick and disgusted and absolutely miserable.

When JD was stable enough to pick up his head, he turned his gaze to his caretaker. Blue eyes locked with his own; big, watery, and more than just a little scared. "I-I don't wanna throw up anymore. Make it better, Dr. Cox, _please_. It doesn't feel good. I don't…I don't like it."

Before Perry could even respond, JD's head was back in the toilet, his body rippling with shivers and sobs.

Dr. Cox felt horrible. He'd do his best to take care of Newbie, but kids never seemed to understand that not all things were as simple to fix as a snap of the fingers. Hell, adults often made the same mistake when it came to doctors; they'd look at him, waiting, as if he had a magic wand he could just wave and make all the illnesses go away.

But he didn't have a wand; just a knowledge of medicine, illnesses, and the various ways to go about treating a patient. And as he knew from years of experience, sometimes that just wasn't enough.

"I'm going to take good care of you, JD," he finally answered, still rubbing comforting circles into the young doctor's back. "I'm going to be here all day with you, alright? I'm not leaving."

"P-Promise?" JD managed, raising his head away from the toilet.

"Yeah, Newbie. I promise."

Perry winced as JD leaned forward again, doing his best to ignore the persistent ache that JD's sobs left panging at his heart.

--

Being sick sucked, but besides the nausea and the random shivers and the whole throwing up thing, JD found himself surprisingly comfortable. No actually, it wasn't surprising at all, not when Dr. Cox was the one taking care of him.

JD was currently sitting on the couch, snuggled up in the blue blanket he'd been fond of on his last visit _and_ the quilt from his bed. A bucket was across from him on the coffee table, just in case. Pillows and a couple of stuffed animals the older man had seen him playing with a few times were placed all around him. And sitting right beside JD was Dr. Cox himself.

"Okay there, kiddo?"

JD nodded, happy his caretaker was staying with him. He thought he'd want to keep his distance to not get sick himself, but he _was_ a doctor after all.

"Glad to see you're smiling there, kid. Anything you want to share?"

JD giggled into the comforter, looking rather shy. "You're a doctor."

Perry raised an eyebrow, a small grin beginning to form in the process. "So I am. Is that why you're smiling though, Newbie?"

"Uh-huh. You're a doctor, so you know how to take care of me. You take care of people _all the time._ I wanna be a doctor too, you know... Hey! Do you think if I grow up and get to be a doctor, we could spend more time together? We could work in the same hospital!"

JD turned to him excitedly, ignoring the lurch of his stomach, to see how Dr. Cox would like his newest idea. He frowned a little when he saw the older man's expression though. He didn't look mad or anything. In fact, he was even smiling. But the smile wasn't filled with excitement like JD's had been. It was there and seemed serious enough, but it was small and looked a little…sad maybe?

Before JD was able to express his worry, calloused fingers found their way through his hair, easing his mind as he sank into the touch.

"Yeah, Newbie," he finally answered, "That's a good idea."

"Yeah…?"

"You betchya'."

--

JD had only thrown up three more times since the first time around. It was looking as though it really was just the twenty-four hour bug he had expected it to be. _That's a relief,_ Perry thought as he washed out Newbie's bucket in the kitchen sink. JD wasn't a bad patient; Dr. Cox just didn't enjoy seeing him that way. It was a little like staring at a kicked puppy.

Perry looked over to the living room, where Newbie was currently sleeping on the couch. He'd let him stay there for his nap today, thinking it'd be best for the kid if his stomach demanded to spill. He also felt better having him in his sight; making sure for himself that JD was hanging in there.

Soft mumbling came from where JD lay on his side, one arm wrapped around his middle while the other was free for thumb sucking. Dr. Cox quietly made his way over, placing the bucket back down in its proper place. When he chanced a glance at Newbie, Perry couldn't help but grin. He was tucked into his blankets as if it were a cocoon, his face the only part of his body that was visible.

Dr. Cox bent down, quietly brushing away a loose strand of hair. Newbie shifted slightly, but let out a content sigh as he did so. It was a peaceful moment, until the older man suddenly realized a conversation he had yet to have with a certain nurse…

Dr. Cox practically marched to the phone, dialing Carla's number and waiting with an impatient tap of the foot for her to answer.

"Hello?"

"You are in _serious_ trouble with me…"

"Oh, come on, Dr. Cox, you're being ridiculous. Okay, so I guess I should've called you to at least let you know she was there."

"Ya' think!?"

"But I thought if I did that you'd say no to the whole thing, and Elliot really _was_ the only option I had at the time."

"Yeah, well…I don't think adult Newbie would be particularly happy with that scenario…"

"Well he's not going to remember, so it doesn't matter now, does it? Besides, she told me he liked her!"

"He did, but that doesn't mean the painted toe nails and hair ribbons were necessary…"

There was a short pause before a fit of laughter erupted over the phone. "She did _what!?_"

"You heard me! Jordan Godzilla and Blue Eyed Barbie are ne-_heaver_ allowed to hang out again."

"Mmhmm…I'm sure they'll totally listen to you too…"

A sudden pained whimper drew Perry's attention to the couch. Newbie practically rolled off of the cushions, leaning forward into the bucket and spilling. The Irishman grimaced.

"Dr. Cox? Everything okay?"

"No actually, they're not. Newbie caught that twenty-four hour stomach virus that's been floating around the hospital."

"Aw, poor Bambi!"

"Kid just woke up, so I gotta go. You're off the hook, by the way, at least for now."

Carla chuckled. "Why gee, thank you so much. You tell Bambi I said feel better, alright?"

"Will do." Perry hung up the phone quickly, making his way over to a miserable looking JD.

"'M sorry…" he mumbled quietly.

"Why in God's name are you sorry?"

"I'm making a mess…"

"No you're not, Newbie. That's what the bucket is for. And even if you were, you're sick. I think I'd be able to let it slide."

JD sniffed, rubbing on-coming tears and exhaustion from his eyes. "Still tired…"

"Yeah, kid. I know."

There was a pause before JD made his wobbly way up to sit back on the couch, managing to keep his blankets snuggled around him all the while. "Can we watch a movie?"

"Yeah, sure thing, Newbie."

"Lion King?"

Dr. Cox rolled his eyes playfully. "Yeah, kid. That's fine."

JD smiled as Perry popped the DVD into its player. When Dr. Cox sat down on the couch, he didn't even tense as the brunet leaned into him, cuddling into his side and humming softly to the opening song.

--

JD fell asleep around the same part from the last time, when fully grown Simba was ascending towards Pride Rock.

Dr. Cox absentmindedly combed his fingers through Newbie's hair, thinking about their dinner situation. He knew the kid wasn't going to be able to eat much, but he'd thrown up enough times where it was important for him to get something down. It'd be preferable for JD to throw up food rather than stomach acid.

Perry stood quietly from his spot, going over to the kitchen and cooking up the number one go to food for sick kids: Chicken noodle soup. Yeah, it was more for colds, but it was also great for stomach bugs too. The broth would be light and easy to get down.

JD sat up, looking curiously towards the source of the smell, just as Dr. Cox was pouring it out of the pot and into a bowl. Perry walked over to him casually, soup in hand. "Hey, kiddo. I think it's time we try and get you to eat something."

JD pouted, scrunching up his nose as he went deeper inside his cocoon of blankets. "Don't wanna…"

"Newbie…I know your stomach hurts, but this'll be easy on it, alright? Now c'mon, kid, at least give it a shot. I highly doubt you dislike the soup itself."

He couldn't believe JD was able to sink even _further_ inside of his quilt, but he somehow managed. "Don't _want_ it!"

Perry closed his eyes, annoyed. He didn't want to get mad at the kid, not when he was feeling so horrible, but he had to eat something damn it! Dr. Cox went over the situation in his head, thinking up various solutions to the problem. He didn't want to make him, but he couldn't let him just not eat anything either. Of course, if JD was in his right state of mind, he would've known that it was important; he would've eaten it. But he wasn't. Newbie was thinking five here, which, Dr. Cox suddenly realized, he could also use to his advantage. Five year olds could be persuaded pretty easily, so long as he just tweaked the meal around a little…

Perry grinned mischievously, getting up from the couch and making his way back over to the kitchen. Dumping the soup into a container for whenever, Dr. Cox pulled out a new can, thankful that he'd randomly decided to pick up some when he went grocery shopping yesterday.

From the corner of his eye, Perry could see Newbie peek out of his blankets, peering at Dr. Cox curiously as he went about cooking whatever new food he had found.

When the older man came back with a new bowl of soup, JD instantly ducked into his blankets again, looking much like a turtle hiding in his shell. "Don't want it," he mumbled.

"You sure about that?" Perry asked casually. "You could always look at it and _then _make your decision…"

JD poked his head out of the covers, curiosity getting the better of him. When he saw what was in the bowl, he let out a happy gasp of surprise. "Stars!" he exclaimed excitedly.

Dr. Cox bit back a grin. It was the same exact thing as the last bowl, only now, the noodles were shaped like stars. Sometimes, Perry thought in amusement, kids were actually pretty easy.

"Can I have some?" JD asked eagerly.

"Sure, Newbie. Just remember to take it slow, alright?"

The brunet nodded as he maneuvered himself out of the covers, more than willing to accept the bowl that was being presented to him.

--

It was exactly seven thirty and JD had only thrown up one more time since dinner. It hadn't lasted long at all, but the kid was just so tired and groggy from the day as a whole. The one upside was that JD was bound to fall asleep soon, and the sooner he fell asleep, the sooner he'd wake up feeling a lot better.

Dr. Cox had gotten up to use the bathroom, leaving JD to himself on the couch. When he came back, he was surprised to find his young protégé stretched out on the living room floor, his back to the rug as he poked gingerly at his stomach.

"Newbie…?"

JD turned his head to look at his mentor; nervousness and exhaustion quite evident in his eyes. "It's starting again…" he muttered sadly.

"What is?"

"My tummy. The nasty feeling. I don't wanna throw up again, Dr. Cox. I don't want to…"

Perry took a seat next to Newbie on the carpet. Gently, slowly, he reached a hand out, placing his palm, splayed out and flat, on JD's stomach. He could feel the contents of Newbie's belly churn and gurgle, could feel JD's muscles pull and twist, doing their best to keep the fluids down.

"Don't wanna throw up," JD muttered again sleepily.

Dr. Cox looked up to see blue eyes staring at him, hazy and just about ready to close. But he knew they wouldn't if his stomach wouldn't settle. So very, very carefully, Perry began to rub the brunet's stomach, his palm making comforting circular motions.

JD let out a content sigh, a complete calm taking over him, and in just five minutes later, the kid was fast asleep.

Dr. Cox raised his hand away slowly, not wanting the sudden lack of contact to stir the kid awake. He continued to sleep though, blissfully unaware of the world around him.

Perry allowed himself a rare and affectionate smile. He knew he still had to continue on thinking about what it was he'd said that made JD fall into this mindset again, but he liked the kid looking so…so _peaceful._

Careful as to not wake him up, Dr. Cox took JD into his arms. He'd contemplated shifting him so that he carried him normally – JD's head on his shoulder, legs wrapped around his middle – but keeping in mind the way he laid stretched out on the floor, he decided bridal style would work best. The less moving around, the better.

As Perry made his way to JD's bedroom, he noticed that he had left the bathroom door open last he went. When Dr. Cox turned to look at its entrance, he stopped immediately, eyes growing wide.

The door was open wide enough so that Perry was staring right at the mirror, the same mirror that was currently showing him his reflection; his _and_ Newbie's reflection…

JD was curled up soundly in Dr. Cox's arms, his thumb in its usual resting place. But Perry didn't see JD in his regular body, oh no. What _he_ was staring at was the same little Newbie he had seen in that picture just a month ago; the very picture that Dan had brought into the hospital.

And suddenly it hit him. Dr. Cox knew why he'd been having trouble getting over JD's five year old self, even before the kid had his relapse.

He had no idea whether or not _his_ five year old JD was the _real_ five year old JD. Was the child he was currently carrying nothing more than a hypnotized mind? Or was the real five year old JD the one he'd seen in that picture and in that picture alone? Perry couldn't help but remember something else Dr. Michaels had said during their last appointment:

_"The thing is, he shouldn't be able to remember you all; he should only have memories from just his _real_ childhood..."_

Perry swallowed hard. He'd known that. It'd surprised him that JD remembered too, but he'd never considered the hypnotized Newbie not…not _real._ And he hated himself for allowing his mind to admit it, but the truth was, the very idea of that hurt him; that the JD currently sleeping against his chest was just some illusion. Sure, he was hypnotized, but he still had memories from his…from his real childhood, right? So didn't that count for anything? Didn't that mean that this JD was just as real as the one he saw in the picture? Was it so far fetched to say that they were the same person?

He didn't know. He didn't want to think about it. Not right now anyway. He knew he should be concentrating on more important things; like what it was he'd said or done that put JD back in this current state, but damn it…this was proving much harder than he thought it would be…

Dr. Cox shook his head, clearing his jumbled mind of thoughts that he just couldn't deal with right now. He made his way back to the kid's room quickly, placing Newbie down on the bed with ease.

Tomorrow. He'd have time to think about it more tomorrow.

**_A/N:_**_ Well, there's one mystery solved, though it just goes ahead and brings up another whole question, doesn't it? I can promise you that everything will be answered by the end of the story, so no worries there at least. As I said before, I'll do my best to get another chapter up here in a fair amount of time, but please have patience with me if it takes a little longer than usual. I swear I'm not doing this on purpose. Far from it, trust me. Anyway, I guess that's enough out of me. Hope you guys liked it. :) Until next time!_


	10. Chapter 10

**_A/N: _**_After a crazy week or so, I'm finally back with a new chapter. I know I told you guys this one would probably take me longer than usual, and I thank you immensely for all your patience and understanding. Still, I am sorry about the wait, so go ahead and double that thank you. lol Anyway, enough out of me. Onto the story!_

_ **Disclaimer:** I own a very large nothing._

**Chapter 10:**

Dr. Cox was relieved the next morning when JD woke up just fine, happily making his way over to the couch and asking for a bowl of Fruit Loops. Perry watched as Newbie continued to eat his cereal, humming to each and every song that Sesame Street began playing. Sure, a hyper JD could be a challenge sometimes, but he'd much rather see the kid up and going than down and sick.

A sudden knock at the door made the both of them jump. Milk spluttered down JD's chin in surprise as Dr. Cox made his way over to whoever it was who had decided 9:00am was an appropriate time for a visit…

He swung the door open, annoyed, but stopped short when he found Carla and Gandhi at its entrance. The nurse's attire definitely screamed beach, while it appeared Milk Dud still had to change out of his scrubs. But why were they here?

"Can I help you ladies?"

Turk rolled his eyes as Carla went about answering the question. "We thought that JD could use some fresh air and exercise, seeing how most five year olds don't enjoy being cramped up in one place all the time."

Perry frowned. "Newbie happens to like it here, and don't go acting all accusatory. I took him out last time and a stupid dog bit him. And besides…my reasoning for not taking the kid out more isn't because I don't want to, it's because, if you haven't noticed, he's not a five year old _physically._ Kinda hard to find a place where he can act the way his mind is currently telling him to without getting stared or pointed at, and I don't think adult JD would appreciate being in that particular case scenario either."

"Not if he was surrounded by people who'd never see him again, or if they did, probably wouldn't remember him."

"If you're implying what I think you're implying, you're out of your mind."

"Dr. Cox, listen! I know last time you tried to find a place with as little people as possible, but how about a place with so much people to the point where no one would even give Bambi a second glance? The beach is packed right now. He can be a kid all he wants to, but he'll have us there to pull on the reigns if he gets too out of hand. And no one will even be paying attention to him. They'll be sunbathing on the sand or taking care of their own kids, not looking at someone who they're going to assume is another adult."

Dr. Cox growled. Newbie _did_ need to get some fresh air, he knew, but last time hadn't gone over very well. Still, both Carla and even Turtle Head would be there, and while Perry didn't like the idea of five year old JD surrounded by people, he knew the nurse was right in a way: It'd be like hiding in plain sight.

And besides, the older man _did_ enjoy the beach…

"Alright, fine. But we're not inviting Barbie."

Carla held up her hands. "I didn't, Dr. Cox, don't worry. I figured I owed you one."

"Damn right you do. Alright, well…get in here then. If we're honestly gonna go do this, me and the kid need to get ready. Though I don't know what you plan on dressing Newbie in. I didn't see any swim trunks in that duffle bag of his, and mine aren't going to fit him."

Turk held up a plastic bag at the older man's words, grinning triumphantly. "Brought him a bathing suit. Carla wanted to go out and buy him a new pair, but after she told me what kind of pajamas she bought for him, I decided to just bring him a pair he already owns."

The two men glanced at Carla, though Dr. Cox couldn't help but smirk a little as he did so. The pajamas _were_ amusing, even if he wouldn't say it out loud.

"What?" she finally asked, clearly feigning innocence. "Now are you going to let us in or what, because Turk still needs to get changed too, and I'd like to see how Bambi's doing if you don't mind."

Perry rolled his eyes as he stepped away from the door. "Fine. In. Just no getting the kid all riled up. He was sick yesterday."

"Oh yeah!" Carla responded, looking a little guilty. "I forgot about that. Is he okay to go to the beach then?"

"Wouldn't have let you in if he wasn't. So yes, he's fine. It was just a twenty-four hour bug like I suspected. Yes, yes, I know – I'm an amazing doctor. No need to shower me with compliments, unless you really want to."

Carla grinned at his teasing as she stepped inside the apartment, while Turk just shook his head, giving him a look that clearly said "Get over yourself." Perry inwardly grinned. It was still so easy to work the surgeon up.

When the three finally stepped inside, they found JD still sitting on the floor, staring at the TV, attention span easily distracted from whatever had been going on at the door. He sang softly to the songs on the show, rocking back and forth happily, still decked out in his pajamas.

Turk let out a small laugh while Carla did everything in her power to prevent an elongated, "Aw," slip out of her mouth. Perry just shook his head. He sometimes forgot that he was more used to seeing JD this way than the rest of them. Not that the kid never came off as cute – even if he did have trouble admitting it – but moments like these were perfectly normal.

"We have company, kid," Dr. Cox finally said.

JD turned around quickly, surprised by the sudden interruption. He smiled broadly when he saw who it was, bouncing up from his position on the floor to wrap his arms around a startled Carla. "Bambi Lady!"

"Hi, sweetie. How are you?"

"I'm good. Hi Turk!"

The surgeon stepped forward and threw his arms around the mini version of his best friend excitedly. Five year old mind or not, he still missed him. It was strange not having him live with them, and even stranger was not seeing him at the hospital on a daily basis. "Hey, buddy. You doing okay over here?"

Perry scowled, wondering why there'd be any reason that Newbie _wouldn't_ be doing okay here, but whatever he'd been getting ready to throw at Gandhi was cut off by JD's enthusiastic reply. "Uh-huh! Yesterday, I got sick, but Dr. Cox watched The Lion King with me and made me chicken noodle soup; the star kind! And then – you know what else? I had coffee. It was fun but I'm not supposed to have it again. And, and there are no monsters in my room either. There's not, really! Dr. Cox made sure they were all gone."

Turk blinked, not expecting the long and rather hyper reply, but he patted his friend on the shoulder nonetheless, happy that he was at least doing okay under Perry's supervision. He never thought Dr. Cox was a bad father, at least not from the little he saw of him with Jack, but he still worried about JD sometimes, even if the curly haired man _had_ been treating him better since the first hypnotism.

Perry had been watching this of course, inwardly relieved about how happy his protégé honestly seemed to feel over their current living arrangement, but an exasperated whisper broke through his train of thought.

"You let him have _coffee?_"

"He took some while I was in the shower, but he's cla-_hearly_ fine, so if you could tuck those maternal instincts of yours back inside that thing you call a purse, I'd appreciate it."

"It's a beach bag, and don't even talk to me about my maternal instincts, because _your_ parental ones are already too out in the open to deny."

"And how's that?"

"The Lion King?"

"It's his favorite."

"Star chicken noodle soup?"

"Wouldn't eat the regular."

"Checking for monsters?"

"Wouldn't go to sleep unless I checked."

Each answer was carefully laid-back; _too _laid-back, and Carla was no fool. She could hear the underlying tone in the older man's voice, the care it held. She was right, and he knew it too.

Turk's voice cut through the half whispered conversation, as so did JD's. "Where's your bathroom, dude? I need to change."

Perry pointed to the door down the hall, still having trouble believing he was actually getting ready to do this.

"What about me? Do I get a bathing suit too?"

Carla picked up the plastic bag her husband had placed on Dr. Cox's table, handing it to him delicately. "You go get changed, alright? We'll be out here waiting."

JD nodded excitedly before running off to his room.

Perry threw himself on the couch, not bothering to flick on the TV. Carla was bound to start a conversation with him, whether he felt like talking or not. This wouldn't have normally bothered him, seeing as how he'd usually let his customary pet peeves slide if the Latina was involved, but he had a feeling what topic she planned on discussing, and after last night's revelation, he really wasn't sure how much more he could take right now.

The beach was suddenly looking better and better.

"So," Carla started, "have you had any luck figuring out what the trigger was that caused Bambi to think he's five again?"

Perry grit his teeth. He _knew_ she would bring this up. "No, no I haven't."

"Dr. Cox, there's only two more days until Jordan comes home…"

"I'm very aware of that, Carla…"

A silence encased them both, until JD burst out of his room, all pearly whites showing as he practically _skipped_ to where they were seated. Dr. Cox took in the red trunks with the white Hawaiian flowers on the side. Alright, that wasn't too bad for going out in public. If the nurse had gotten her way, he was sure the suit would've been covered in little, cartoon dolphins.

"Look at my shorts, Dr. Cox!"

"I see them, Newbie."

"Do you like them?"

Perry nodded, getting ready to get up and get dressed himself. He was abruptly cut off from standing, however, when JD took a seat on his lap. The older man froze, eyes going wide. JD had never just openly sat on his lap before, even when the two were alone, but now somebody, the mother hen of all people, was watching them. Out of the corner of his eye, he could tell she was waiting for how he'd handle the situation. Would he push him off? Tell JD to take a seat on the floor? Act like he wasn't even there?

The answer came when the brunet turned his body in an excited manner to tell Carla whatever it was that had just popped into his head, but because the turn was so abrupt, Newbie almost fell off of Perry's lap, his face heading straight towards the floor. Without a second thought, the older man's arm found its way around the young doctor's middle, pulling him safely back into his lap. "Steady there, Newbie."

JD nodded, wriggling a little in his comfortable position. Carla, not wanting to test the waters, simply smiled. They were all anxious to get their friend into his right state of mind, but he was undoubtedly endearing like this, and the affect he had on Dr. Cox, well…it was a very pleasant transition to observe.

--

Turk had emerged from the bathroom shortly after the lap incident, in which Perry had gotten up to change as well. Soon after that, they were on the road, heading straight for the beach.

The car ride had definitely been an interesting one. Perry had to once again remind himself that both Carla and Gandhi weren't as used to five year old Newbie as he was. Things the nurse cooed over or things the surgeon laughed at were all so normal to him, like JD's insisting that they listen to the Wiggles on the way, or how he sang to every chorus in since he wasn't too sure about the verses yet. Or how when Turk referred to a passing driver as an idiot, JD gasped, telling him that, that was a bad word. The surgeon had stuttered before managing an apology, while Dr. Cox grinned behind the wheel, already having been given that same "scolding" from Newbie before.

Finally though, they were there, and while JD was beyond excited at this point, Dr. Cox still couldn't help but worry.

There were _a lot_ of people at the beach. Families, sun bathers, ocean dwellers – all of them. Yet as they made their way onto the soft sand with Newbie running around them in circles, no one paid them attention. Sure, the occasional glance was thrown their way, a curious eyebrow lift as they took in what they thought was a very hyper adult, but two seconds would pass and the on-lookers attention would be turned to something else. Perry gave a quick sigh of relief. It really was like hiding in plain sight.

Turk and Carla set up the beach chairs, though JD seemed much more inclined to sit in the sand and "dig for treasure" with one of the toy shovels the couple had brought along for him. After Carla covered the hypnotized doctor with the spray on sun screen, JD's interest was already on something other than the large hole he'd been working on just moments ago.

"Dr. Cox? Can we go see the ocean?"

Perry, who had been sitting in one of the fold out chairs, nodded and stood from his seat. There was no way he was letting the kid go all the way in, but standing ankle deep was no big deal.

Mentor walked protégé to where the waves met the shore, picking a spot that wasn't insanely covered by surfers and swimmers while still keeping the "hiding in plain sight," concept in mind.

A sudden shriek of surprise startled him, making the older man look up sharply. JD, who had been a few steps in front of him in his excitement to see the ocean, had very carefully approached the water, but of course the waves ascended towards him, sliding over his feet and sending cold shivers through the brunet, who hadn't prepared himself for how chilly it would undoubtedly feel.

JD's laugh was high and even more childish than usual as he ran back to Perry's side, giggling like a kid on Christmas. "Dr. Cox, did you see me? I touched the ocean! Did you see me?"

Perry rolled his eyes playfully, ruffling the young doctor's hair as he did so. "I saw you, Newbie."

"The ocean is so _big!_ I knew it was because of all the pictures, the ones we saw in Kindergarten, but it's a _lot_ bigger than I thought it would be."

Perry's eyebrows shot up at this. He had completely forgotten that, in JD's current state of mind, this could very well be the first time he'd ever seen the ocean, or any beach for that matter. Apparently, this was the case. That would explain the kid's behavior from this morning. He had taken JD's excitement at the idea of going to the beach as simply a kid being eager to go out for the day, but if the hypnotized doctor could never recall going to the beach, than that certainly must have added to his enthusiasm.

"You ready to go back to Carla and Milk Dud, then?"

"Dr. Cox?"

"Yeah, Newbie, what is it?"

"Why do you call Turk Milk Dud?"

Perry smirked. "It's a nickname, kid. Don't worry about it."

"'Mkay…"

Once they made it back to the spot where they had set up their stuff, JD insisted that they make a sand castle. To take some attention away from adult JD sitting happily amongst the castle structured buckets while giggling in the sand, Turk decided he'd help him. Then, if people did happen to look over, they would think they were just two kind of odd adults. And if people were actually bold enough to start asking questions, Dr. Cox and Carla were right there, ready to intervene.

As JD went about patting the sand so that his part of the castle stayed up right, he noticed a bucket sitting by the surgeon's knee; one that would look really good with the rest of his castles.

"Can you pass me that bucket, Milk Dud?"

Perry, who had been talking amiably enough with Carla, looked over abruptly at the sound of Newbie's words. Turk looked stunned, with a bit of exaggerated hurt. Two seconds later and both Irishman and Latina were hysterical with laughter, while JD just looked on at the three of them, clearly confused by what was taking place. "What'd I do?" he finally asked, sounding a little alarmed.

"You called me Milk Dud!" Turk answered, just a little more loudly than necessary.

"But Dr. Cox said it was a nickname! Newbie's a nickname too, right? But I don't mind that, so why - ?"

"Don't worry, Bambi, you just startled him. Turk, put that look away. You know he didn't mean it the way Dr. Cox usually does."

Perry was still grinning broadly, even when the surgeon turned to glare at him. The curly haired man couldn't help it though. God, he _so_ wished he could've recorded that.

--

A half hour later and the sun's rays were shining much more persistently. Not wanting to freckle, Dr. Cox stood up to adjust the umbrella. He caught site of Carla, way ahead of their little set up. She had taken JD down to the ocean, after he kept on begging to see it again. "I'll go up to my knees this time!" he had proclaimed happily, but one look between the nurse and the older doctor said that, that wasn't going to happen. They weren't sure how well he'd be able to fend for himself in his current state if a wave, just a little too big, decided to come crash down on his fun.

Now Dr. Cox was alone, stretched out on the beach chair, sun glasses in place. Gandhi had gone to the board walk five or ten minutes ago, saying that he was going to get lunch for the four of them. That was fine, seeing as how he was pretty hungry, but suddenly, he was feeling pretty tired as well. With last night's revelation, Carla's reminder about the trigger word that he had yet to figure out, the time limit he _had_ to figure it out _by_ - it was safe to say Perry's mind needed some time to rest. And with the suns warm rays beating down on him, he found his eye lids drifting peacefully closed behind his shades.

Sleep came easy.

--

"Dr. Cox? Dr. Cox! Wake up!"

A hand shook his shoulder roughly, and Perry jolted. He was used to waking up in an instant, what with being a doctor and all, but when he blinked enough times to take in his surroundings – sand, sun, ocean – he realized he was not in the on-call room, but at the beach. He was at the beach because it was good for JD to get out; five year old JD, that is. And because Newbie was currently hypnotized, both he and the young doctor had taken off from work for a week, which led to a very obvious question: Why in God's name was he being waken up like it was the freaking apocalypse if he wasn't currently sleeping in the on-call room?

Dr. Cox whipped off his sunglasses, annoyed. He held back a frustrated growl, however, when he saw the look of panic that had taken hold of Carla's expression. He had just only registered Gandhi's voice in the background, calling desperately for his friend with a very obvious tremor in his tone.

"Don't say it…" he managed through the ever swelling ball of worry that seemed to be dwelling in his throat.

Carla swallowed, tears forming in her eyes. "JD's lost, Dr. Cox. He's lost, and we have no idea where he is."

**_A/N:_**_ I don't do cliffhangers too often, do I? I hope not. Not that they aren't good sometimes, I just don't want to over use them, nor do I want to make you guys worry too much. lol Oh, my reasoning for thinking Dr. Cox likes the beach came from Season 5. When Elliot's talking to Jordan, Perry decides to go to his "Happy Place," and the sounds we hear that _he _hears are ocean waves and seagulls, so I just went with it. lol Anyway, I apologize once again for how long this chapter took me, but now it seems I'm back on track. And guess what? Only five more chapters to go! A little sad, I know, but also a little exciting. (Or at least in my mind anyway. lol) Well, that's about it from me. Hope you guys enjoyed it, and until next time!_


	11. Chapter 11

**_A/N: _**_Hey, guys! Hopefully I'm getting this up here in a decent amount of time, seeing as how the last chapter ended on a bit of a rough note, so I hope this makes up for that. I know I probably sound like a broken record, but I'm completely sincere when I say thank you for all the lovely reviews you guys send my way. They're all very much appreciated and really keep me going. :) Well, that's about it from me. Enjoy!_

**_Disclaimer:_**_ I own a very large nothing._

**Chapter 11:**

Dr. Cox could only stare back, speechless, the words that just left her lips not making their way into his head. Then, quite suddenly, it hit him.

_JD's lost, JD's lost, JD's lost, JD's lost, JD's lost._

He was up from his chair in seconds, ignoring the searing hot sand that met the bottom of his bare feet painfully. "You _lost_ him!?"

"I didn't, I – We were down by the ocean, but then he said he wanted to go back to our spot and play with the beach toys, so I pointed out where you were in the crowd and he said he could see you and that he'd go straight there, so I let him, and I just…we both saw you! How did you not see him?"

"I was sleeping, Carla! _Sleeping!_ Sleeping under the impression that _you_ were watching him."

"Well, I didn't know you were sleeping!"

"I've been wearing sunglasses since we got here! Why would you go ahead and assume I _wasn't_ sleeping!"

"I'm sorry! Dr. Cox, I'm really –"

But Perry wasn't paying attention to her anymore. He was staring at the distance between their set up and the ocean. There were so many people, so many crowds, that JD would've had to maneuver threw in order to get to him. It was such an easy place to get lost, and with Newbie's five year old attention span, it was an even easier place to get distracted, especially if the kid had never been to the beach before. God, _anything_ could have pulled his attention away. And anything – _anyone _– could have swayed him away from the path to where he himself had been sleeping.

Dr. Cox swallowed. He had to keep on reminding himself that JD wasn't five physically; that someone wouldn't see him and take advantage… But what if, somehow, they figured out his predicament? And if that happened…

Perry hadn't realized he'd been running till he heard the worried nurse call after him, but he wasn't going to stop. He passed Gandhi in a blur, who was busily looking for his Vanilla Bear. Carla would realize in two seconds that Perry was doing the same, and would continue on searching herself. Three people. That was good.

But three amongst thousands?

The first place he'd go was the information booth. This wasn't a mall, and he knew they wouldn't have an intercom to call JD's name with, but if they had a description – no, he couldn't do that either! Damn it! He'd been thinking of JD physically five again, but if he were to give a complete stranger a description, how would that sound? "Brown hair, blue eyes – oh, and he's thirty. Thought you should know." Dr. Cox grit his teeth in annoyance. Think, damn it, think!

Okay. First, he'd go to the board walk. With so many colors and flashing lights, not to mention the thousands of arcades and gift shops, it was a good place to look for a wandering five year old.

He stepped into the first one he saw, where thousands of claw machines aligned the walls with toys that wouldn't last. A track hung from the ceiling, the toy train following its path continuously through out the whole arcade. There were a million things in there that could've caught JD's attention, but no matter how hard he looked, he wasn't able to find him.

The next place he stepped into was a room full of ski ball machines. He didn't have to stay there long before he realized there was no way Newbie would've stayed long himself. The sound of all the various balls being thrown was deafening, and he knew something like that would most likely scare JD in his current state of mind.

After that he came across a gift shop. This, he thought to himself, wouldn't have been able to hold JD's interest either. Besides the cage of hermit crabs in the front, the rest was just beach clothes.

After another five arcade rooms, two more gift shops, and about two dozen board walk games, Perry's panic was reaching an ultimate high. He'd been looking like mad, and there was no way Carla or Milk Dud had found him either. He knew without asking that they would've called him instantly if they had.

A restaurant with glowing letters caught the older man's attention. The inside was pretty bleak, but maybe the light outside would've been enough to pull Newbie in. It didn't take long to realize that he wasn't in there either, but just as he was getting ready to leave, he overheard one of the waiters talking.

"Did you see that freak before?" he asked a fellow co-worker.

"What? What happened?"

"Some dude came in here asking for his 'Daddy." I was just like, 'Listen, man. There's no way you're here with your old man, and if you are, then you're damn sure old enough to go find him yourself.'"

"That's really bizarre."

"Tell me about it."

"I don't think so," another waiter suddenly cut in.

"You don't think that's abnormal? What are you on?"

"Did you even see the guys face when he asked if you knew where his 'Daddy' was? He seemed really serious, man. I mean, he could've had something wrong with him, you know? I didn't get the whole nut job vibe when I was looking at 'im."

"Whatever. All I'm saying is that someone needs to keep these freaks on a leash. I know this is California, but –"

The waiter didn't have a chance to finish his sentence. Two very large, very tight hands were suddenly gripping his collar, pulling and shaking till his complete and utter attention was focused on the owner of that angry grasp.

"WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN!?"

"DUDE, WHAT THE HELL!?"

"TELL ME! WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN!?"

"Like…I DUNNO, OKAY!? Five minutes ago, maybe?"

"And where did he go? Which way? TELL ME, DAMN IT!"

The waiter held up a shaky finger to the right. "That way, alright? Now let me go or I'm calling the cops!"

In actuality, Dr. Cox had let the guy go the minute he saw which direction he had pointed to. He was running so fast that if it was possible to get a ticket for doing so, Perry would have a large sum of money to pay for breaking the speed limit.

And then, up ahead, he saw it. The large, multi-colored, checker covered house: The Fun House. It stared down at him, mockingly, and Dr. Cox could've sworn he heard the beast of a thing whisper a cynical, "Want him? Come get him."

Perry growled angrily as he marched towards the house's entrance, ignoring the puzzled look from the man who ran the chaotic monstrosity. So help whoever messed with him right now.

--

The first thing Dr. Cox noticed upon stepping inside was how cold it felt. For the tiniest of moments, Perry relaxed. He'd been running under a blazing sun, complete and utter panic swelling in the pit of his stomach all the while, so to feel cool air surrounding him was definitely refreshing. But then he suddenly thought of Newbie lost in one of the Fun Houses' rooms; in just his bathing suit – wet from the ocean – shivering.

Dr. Cox swallowed, forcing the panic back down, as he continued to walk through the house.

Besides the fact that he hadn't found JD yet, Perry was undoubtedly angry that he was no longer able to run. The space was limited, not to mention it was pretty dark, and little kids would randomly pop up from whatever corner of the place they'd been exploring. Some, he noted, had been giggling. Others looked more than just a little worried. Maybe JD _would've_ enjoyed something like this, but if he'd already been lost to begin with? No way.

After the maze of mirrors and the room of different patterned spirals, Dr. Cox stepped into the darkest room he'd been in so far. A quick observation told him that it was supposed to be a jungle. Plastic gorillas sat in the corner, while vines (more like green rope) hung down from the ceiling. The speakers, wherever they were hidden, blasted with various animal sounds. They were all so loud and high pitched that, for the life of him, Perry would not have been able to identify which animal was making what sound. The noise, however, was inconsistent. There'd be a good full minute of screeching, and then it would settle back into something that sounded faintly like crickets. It was during that quieter time, right when he was getting ready to leave the room for the next one, did he hear it. A very small, very scared whimper.

Dr. Cox whirled around immediately, ears perked at the sound. His heart raced wildly at the familiarity of what he just heard, hope rising in him so fast that he had to remind himself that it could've just been his mind's desperation to find JD playing tricks on him.

But the whimper came again, and he knew it wasn't just his frazzled nerves.

Very slowly, very cautiously, Perry approached the hollowed out log he had bypassed before. He'd taken it for decoration, but upon closer inspection, it was big enough for a kid – an adult, even – to hide in. With his heart still hammering against his chest, Dr. Cox bent down to look in the hollow's opening.

Never in his life had he felt such an odd mixture of relief and pain.

There was JD, curled up tighter than he had ever seen him before. He lay on his side, face pressed against his knees, back turned towards the outside world. He remained absolutely silent, only the occasional whimper escaping him.

"Newbie…?"

He watched, now completely crouched at JD's level, as every muscle in the kid's body tensed. He could tell he was waiting, listening, but he could also tell he didn't feel safe enough to come out. It was dark and loud. He'd been lost for a fairly long time now, and if that asshole waiter really yelled at him the way he said he had, then he couldn't particularly blame JD's lack of trust.

That didn't mean it didn't hurt though.

"JD? It's me. It's Dr. Cox. It's safe now, Newbie. You can come out."

"Really you…?" he heard him ask quietly, an obvious tremor in his voice.

Perry nodded, forgetting that the young doctor was currently turned away from him. "You bet, kiddo."

He didn't see JD get up, nor did he see him crawl out of the hollow, but a sudden weight pressed against him so hard and so fiercely that he was sure he must've. Two arms circled around his waist, clinging there tightly. Dr. Cox did the same, ignoring anyone who passed by. He didn't care. He was far too relieved to care.

The body that pressed against him was shaking now, the head buried in his chest shedding tears upon tears as the minutes passed on. "Lost you!" JD cried helplessly into his caretakers grasp. "Lost you. Couldn't…couldn't find you. Really tried. Really, really tried. So scared...I was so scared…"

Perry hadn't expected the sudden swell of emotion he could feel threatening to rise within him, but he successfully held it together as he drew comforting circles into his Newbie's back. "I lost you too, kiddo. Believe me when I say how hard I tried to find you, and how I…I was scared too, Newbie."

JD buried his face even deeper into his mentor's frame, but his hold on his caretaker relaxed a little as he began to sniffle. "Found me," he muttered quietly, the worry and fear in his voice slowly leaving him.

"I did," Perry agreed. "I found you, and you are never leaving my sight again."

This didn't seem to bother JD in the slightest, as he continued too further nestle into the older man's hold.

--

The walk back to the beach was something of a blur. JD had clung to him so tightly the entire time that it was becoming a little hard for Dr. Cox to stay up right, but he was in no way getting ready to complain.

It wasn't until they reached their spot on the beach did Perry snap out of his relieved sort of trance. He felt JD being pulled away from him, but relaxed when he saw it was Carla. She held him so tightly, apologizing over and over and asking if he was okay. JD seemed confused as to why she would be apologizing, but he hugged her back all the same and told her it was alright.

Turk was laughing out of shear relief over seeing his Vanilla Bear untouched and unharmed. He hugged JD tightly before letting him go. He was still laughing, unable to form the right words. It was one of those few moments in which Dr. Cox saw Turk as much more than just a scalpel jockey.

When JD told the surgeon how hungry he was, Turk took him over to where he had put the food he had gotten for all of them earlier. As the brunet went about eating his burger, Carla approached the older man slowly. "Dr. Cox, I'm –"

Perry shook his head. "It's fine, it's – he's back, alright? It's fine."

One side glance at the nurse told him that, that wasn't enough; the look on her face of pure misery and defeat. Dr. Cox inwardly sighed. Almost anyone else, and he would've just blown them off, but – "Listen, Carla, it was a mistake. You know how many times I had to remind myself that Newbie wouldn't be able to do certain things by himself because of the hypnotism? Took me long enough to get it through my head, and I spent more time with the kid than the two of you have. And c'mon…I've made my fair share of mistakes with Jack too. It's fine now though, so stop with the look."

Carla's shoulders eased as she looked up at Perry, grinning slightly at the older man's teasing. Her grin faltered, however, when she looked towards JD, who was still eating his burger under the umbrella, ketchup splattered across his face. "Where did you find him?" she asked quietly.

"In the Fun House."

"Was he okay…?"

She knew his answer before he even got the chance to speak. His eyes had filled with an emotion that not many saw in the older man, and his jaw clenched tightly. "No. He was really freaked out. Wouldn't even turn to see me until I assured him it was actually me. He cried for a pretty long time…"

"Oh, Bambi…" she whispered sadly.

A moment of silence passed before both doctor and nurse walked over to where JD sat finishing his meal. Turk's gaze scarcely left his friend, clearly afraid of losing him all over again. "Hey," he said as the two approached.

"Hey, baby," Carla answered, sitting down next to him.

"I was thinking," Perry suddenly cut in, "that after Newbie here is done with his food, we should probably start heading home."

The couple was getting ready to nod, but JD had just finished swallowing his last piece, eager to respond to what had just been announced. "No! Let's stay! We don't have to go, do we? They got lots of things here, and I heard someone talk about fireworks later. Can we stay? Please?"

It was the first time since finding him that JD seemed enthusiastic again, and while Perry's reasoning for wanting to leave early had been for Newbie's sake, he didn't want to deprive him of something that made him seem so happy, especially after everything that had gone down so far. "Alright, Newbie, we can stay, but you stick to my side the entire time, understood?"

JD nodded vigorously, not at all enticed by the idea of getting lost again either.

--

At first, JD seemed a little afraid to venture back onto the board walk, but once Turk drew his attention to the various claw machines, his fear was soon forgotten.

"Look it, look it!" JD jumped in place, pointing to a machine that held an abundance of fluffy zoo animals. "Can I try and win one?"

Carla was the first to hand him her quarters while Turk explained the workings of the machine. After three different tries, JD pouted, clearly disappointed over not being able to win. "I can't do it," he mumbled quietly.

"I'll try," Dr. Cox said casually. The couple stared at him, surprised, but Perry ignored the looks as he grabbed the droid stick. He held out his hand towards Carla, palm up and waiting, while his eyes remained glued to the inside of the machine, scanning the various toys for the best one to go for. He felt two coins being put in his hand and inserted them into the slot quickly.

The crane jerked to life, shaking a little as it did so. Right, left, budge a little here, over that one there, a slight shift towards the center – click! Perry's thumb hit the droid stick's button, while the three watched on, undoubtedly impressed, as the crane came back up with a stuffed giraffe in its hold.

JD was jumping up and down excitedly, arms flailing wildly as Perry opened the small door at the bottom, pulling out the toy. "You did it, you did it!" he exclaimed happily.

Dr. Cox handed him the giraffe, but not before ruffling the kid's hair. "There ya' go, Newbie. All yours."

He smirked a little at the two stunned faces still watching him. He'd offer no explanation. It was just too damn funny.

--

The rest of the day had gone by smoothly. JD was no longer scared, but absolutely thrilled at all the things he was being given the opportunity to try; things that, according to his five year old memory, he'd never been able to try before.

Despite Perry's protesting, Turk would not stop giving the kid sweets. "Living vicariously through Bambi," Carla had said with a wink. They had to go back to their spot on the beach to allow Newbie to calm down a little, what with caramel popcorn, funnel cake, and cotton candy flowing through his system.

Later, when the room with all the ski ball machines was mostly empty, they had taken JD to play a couple of rounds. He was surprisingly good at this, which surprised Turk the most. He'd seen JD's regular bowling skills, and they hadn't been what one would call impressive.

JD had wanted to go on the rides, and while both Dr. Cox and Turk had assured Carla he would be okay – even volunteering to go on with him – the nurse wouldn't budge. "These rides aren't like amusement park rides. They're ready to fall apart!" The only ride she said was safe enough was the Merry-Go-Round, which was absolutely fine with JD. Perry had practically shoved Turk on the ride to accompany his protégé. Sitting in a cart, no matter how fast it was going, was much better than sitting on a colorful pony.

After that little experience, one that Dr. Cox would never let Milk Dud forget, they headed for the beach again. A calm seemed to settle over the young doctor as he watched the sunset, and even Perry – though he wouldn't say it out loud, no matter how many times Carla elbow bumped his ribs – had to admit it was pretty beautiful.

Finally, it was time for the fireworks. A fair amount of people had already gone home by now, and the area around their setup was pretty vacant, giving them the privacy they'd been craving since JD had gotten lost.

The first firework shot up in the darkened sky, and Perry couldn't help but grin at Newbie's awed expression. JD watched in silence, eyes alight with the magnificence of it all. Only the occasional, "Ooooh!" left his lips as he took in all the various colors and effects.

"I'm glad we stayed," JD said when it was over. "That was fun."

Dr. Cox turned to answer, but JD was still staring at the sky, blue eyes calm and peaceful. There was, however, a definite sleepiness within that look, and Perry actually smiled a little when JD let out a quiet yawn.

"Tired, kiddo?"

"Mmhmm," he answered while rubbing his eyes.

Dr. Cox turned towards the others and nodded, indicating that it was finally time to leave.

--

JD had fallen asleep almost instantly upon reaching the car. The three talked softly amongst themselves. Well, Turk and Carla mostly. Perry, whose attention was on the road, had been thinking about the day's events as a whole. He doubted that he would ever forget how petrified JD looked when he first found him in that Fun House. But he would also never forget how relieved the kid had been; how equally relieved Perry had felt himself.

But besides all that, the day had gone over well enough. JD had bounced back once he was given the chance to settle down, and he seemed to thoroughly enjoy himself for the rest of the day.

Dr. Cox peeked in the rear view mirror, sneaking a glance at Newbie, whose head was pressed against the window. A serene expression was painted across his face. It was a nice image, but something still nagged at him; something he had pushed aside when first he heard it, too rushed and too worried to give it much thought. But now that all was said and done, the words he couldn't let go of seemed to replay over and over in his memory.

_"Some dude came in here asking for his 'Daddy.'"_

_Daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy._

JD had only called him that once, and that had been an accident. The subject had never been brought up again, but if the kid was referring to him as his father to people he didn't even know…? Maybe Newbie called him Dr. Cox to his face, but he wasn't thinking of him like that in his five year old mindset. What bothered Perry the most was his indecisiveness on the matter. Last time, it had scared him, no questions asked. But this time his thoughts on the topic were jumbled. He couldn't pin point how he felt, how he'd taken it, but he did know one thing for sure: It hadn't scared him the way it had last time.

So…what did that mean?

Perry pulled up to his apartment. He'd been getting ready to drop Carla and Turtle Head off first, almost forgetting that it wasn't his car he'd been driving.

"Thanks for agreeing to do this, Dr. Cox," Carla said softly as Perry picked up JD from the back seat. The hypnotized doctor let out a content little sigh before burying his face into his caretaker's neck.

"Besides the whole getting lost thing, it was a blast," the older man answered sarcastically, but the nurse could tell he wasn't labeling the day in it's entirety as a complete failure.

"Thanks for finding him," Turk cut in. Perry looked surprised for a moment, but nodded soon after. Even he couldn't deny how much Gandhi cared for the kid, five year old mind or not.

A small sound emitted from JD's sleeping form, catching all of their attention. Perry nodded one more quick goodbye before heading towards the apartment. It had been a long day, and JD wasn't the only one who could use a good night's sleep.

**_A/N:_**_ I hope this made the cliffhanger worth it! Oh, and the reference to Turk having seen JD's unimpressive bowling skills was taken from a Scrubs episode. JD and Turk go bowling, and when JD reads off the scores at the end of the game, he says he scored, "A gentleman's forty." (LOL, that part always makes me laugh) Anyway, that's about it from me. I hope you guys liked it! Until next time! :)_


	12. Chapter 12

**_A/N: _**_I'm _really_ sorry this took longer than usual. I swear, every time I sat down to do this, I ended up having a staring match with my computer. It wasn't really writer's block, seeing as how I've already planned what's going to happen; it's just that the words I wanted would _not_ come out. This chapter is also a bit shorter than my usual length (though there is a reason for that) so I apologize for that as well. Anyway, thanks for putting up with my lack of updates, and thanks for your more than encouraging reviews. I appreciate it much more than I can express in a simple author's note. Oh! Just one more thing: Someone pointed out that I used the word "precariously" instead of, "vicariously" in the last chapter. lol My mistake. I went and changed it, so I'm sorry if that threw anybody off. Well, enough out of me. Enjoy the next chapter! After this, only three more to go._

**_Disclaimer:_**_ I own a very large nothing._

**Chapter 12**

It wasn't until a little after midnight did Dr. Cox decide it was time to get some rest. He had tucked the weary JD into bed the minute he had opened the apartment door, but that had been hours ago. He'd planned on going to bed earlier than usual himself, but once he changed out of his bathing suit and showered away the sand, he found himself too alert to go to sleep.

But now the clock was staring at him, urging him to bed, and Perry was in no mood to argue.

As Dr. Cox stood from his place on the couch, a deafening crash roared through the apartment. The older man turned towards the window, surprised by the sudden sound of thunder. At least, he thought to himself quietly, it held off until they got home. The day could've gone over a lot worse if it had been raining and thundering too.

A brilliant light flashed outside his window, illuminating the apartment for just a moment. Raining, thundering _and _lightening. He was suddenly very glad that he was off from work. Night shifts sucked as they were, but on stormy nights like this? God help the poor bastards who were on-call.

Finally turning his attention away from the outside world, the older man headed towards his room, passing JD's closed door on the way. He stopped though, when he heard something like that of a nervous whimper. Perry pressed his ear against the door, curious. Was JD crying in his sleep?

Very quietly, Dr. Cox turned the handle. He watched from his stance against the door frame as Newbie, who was not asleep, but very much awake, sat huddled under his blankets. His head peeked out after a second or so, daring a glance at the rooms one and only window, but another loud crash accompanied with a burst of purple light sent him right back under the covers. He hadn't noticed Dr. Cox standing there, so he didn't hesitate before whispering a shaky, "Don't wanna be 'lectrocuted."

"The lightening won't get you, Newbie. Not in here."

JD jumped, poking his head out to look at his mentor while still keeping the blankets wrapped tightly around his shoulders. Perry walked over to him quietly, taking a seat on the bed next to him. The brunet seemed to ease quite a bit at the gesture, relaxing a little into the mattress. Still, the kid had, had a long day. The best thing for him right now was a good night's sleep, not another scare session.

"I was having a good dream, but then the dream got loud, and then I woke up, and then it really_ was_ loud. And I can't go back to sleep because the lightening might come in and get me when I'm not looking."

Perry sighed. He couldn't believe he was getting ready to do this again, but the kid really needed his rest, and honestly, so did he. "You wanna sleep in my room tonight, Newbie?"

JD nodded vigorously, more than happy to receive the invite. The young doctor kept the blanket already wrapped around him in his grasp, but when Dr. Cox turned to go, JD called out to him, beckoning him to wait. "I gotta find Coco and George!"

Perry quirked an eyebrow, clearly confused at the kid's declaration. "'Coco and George?' Who's Coco and George?"

JD looked surprised by the question, as if the answer was more than obvious. "You know Coco and George, Dr. Cox!" The hypnotized doctor went back to his searching, clearly baffled by their absence. "George fell asleep with me, and Coco was on the bed waiting for me to get home, so they should be here!"

"Newbie, what are you –"

"Found 'em!" JD shouted happily, emerging from within the covers. Dr. Cox stared at the two animals, suddenly realizing why Newbie had said he knew them. One was the bear that Carla had given him when his stitches were getting taken care of at the hospital. The other was the giraffe that Dr. Cox had won for him earlier that day on the board walk.

Perry grinned, not being able to stop himself from asking the question, even if he already knew the answer. "So who's named George and who's named Coco?"

"Coco is the bear, 'cause he's brown like chocolate. George is the giraffe, 'cause 'George' and 'giraffe' start with the same sound."

"Ah…"

"They can come too, right? I don't think they like the lightening either."

"Sure, Newbie. They can come."

JD followed Dr. Cox to his room, clutching to his stuffed animals and blanket like a life line. The walk wasn't far, but the lightening still flashed through the window as thunder echoed inside the apartment, making the brunet jumpy until they were safe and sound in his caretaker's room.

JD hopped on the bed, snuggling against his mentor's blankets and pillows. Dr. Cox changed quickly and quietly into something more comfortable for sleep, following the kid in soon after. Like last time, JD was sure to give him the space he needed, but Perry didn't feel as awkward as he had the last time either.

Another crash burst through the room, and JD was quick to fill the space between them, burying his face into his mentor's side. "Gonna get 'lectrocuted," he mumbled softly.

Perry's hand instantly found his way to JD's hair, combing through the dark locks absentmindedly. He was still lying on his back, staring at the ceiling and wondering why he felt so completely at ease when he had so much to think about, when a single bolt of lightening managed to lighten up the entire room. This scared JD so much that he buried his head even deeper into the older man's side, arms curling around his middle, before crying out a muffled, "Daddy!"

Time froze.

Every muscle in Perry's body instantly tensed. His hand seemed stuck in JD's hair, unable to continue combing but unable to pull away. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he noticed JD was being awfully still too. He'd slipped, but not in the same way as last time, because this time…this time he meant it.

It was a long moment before anything was said, but it was JD who managed to break the silence first. He let go of his mentor, a clear reluctance on his face, as he put as much distance between them without having to fall off the bed. "I'm sorry," he whispered softly. "It slipped…"

Dr. Cox was still lying on his back, but his head was completely turned towards his young protégé, whose doe blue eyes would not meet his own.

Perry swallowed, preparing himself for what he was about to say; how much it would mean, how big it was. Because while he knew once JD awoke from his hypnotized state and would undoubtedly forget all that had happened, he also knew that _he_ wouldn't. He would forever remember this occurrence in its entirety, and what was about to happen now – what he was getting ready to proclaim – well, it was big. Maybe not to someone else, but for him? For Perry Cox, this was huge.

"It's okay, JD."

The doe eyed doctor looked up hesitantly, though he still didn't move over to where he lay. "I-It's okay? But I didn't think -"

With one hand still nestled behind his head, Perry used his free arm to beckon JD back over. It was a casual gesture, but it was done so gently and meant so much. When JD still hesitated, Perry sat up, back leaning against the head board. He patted his lap softly, eyes going even softer. "Come here, Newbie…"

This time he came, relieved at the invite but still somewhat wary. He rested his head in his caretaker's lap, a sleepy sigh escaping him as he did so. "You're not mad at me?" he finally asked.

"No, kiddo. I'm not mad. Listen, it's like this. I… JD, you know I'm not your _real_, um…"

"You're not my real daddy. It's okay, Dr. Cox. I know."

Perry nodded, as if confirming this fact for himself as well. "Okay, now, see…if you know that, then why - ?"

"Because you're more like my daddy than my actual daddy."

Perry stiffened a little, but nodded. He knew all this anyway. Why was he acting so nervous? "Right. Right, okay. I just –" Dr. Cox stopped then. He just what? Could it be that he had spent so much time telling the adult JD _not_ to act as though he was his son, that suddenly wanting the exact opposite threw him into an entirely new set of emotions he hadn't prepared himself for? Maybe it was the fact that he still didn't know for sure whether this hypnotized JD was just a fabrication, or if this really was how JD was like when he really _had_ been five. But even if _his_ five-year-old version wasn't the _real_ five-year-old version, he still cared about him. And the kid whose head was lying on his lap still looked to him like a kid would to a father. And even the person – the _adult_ – that JD was going to go back to being once he became un-hypnotized: That person still saw him as a father too, so what was he waiting for?

_What are you waiting for?_ his conscious demanded.

"Dr. Cox?"

"It's okay, JD. You can call me whatever you want, alright? Dad works just as well as Dr. Cox."

There. He said it. It was out in the open and there was no going back. So what would JD think?

He got his answer when the kid turned over on his back, head still nestled in Perry's lap as wide blue eyes stared up at him. "Really?" he asked excitedly, happiness quite evident in his tone. "I can call you that? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, kid. I'm sure."

JD wriggled happily where he lay, turning his head so that it now pressed against the older man's abdomen. "Daddy," he whispered, as if testing the word out for the very first time.

Perry was about to smile, ignoring the part of him that was currently belittling himself for acting like such a softy towards the kid, but his smile faltered when he realized how short lived the moment was. Yes, he'd most definitely remember this moment between them. And yes, it was a huge step for him to be able to give JD permission to call him by that title, but in the long run, did any of it really matter? It was already day six in the craziness that had been both mentor and protégé's week. Time was running out when it came to figuring out the trigger word, but Perry knew that whenever he did, JD would wake up and forget all that had happened. This whole, big proclamation wouldn't even be a memory in the young doctor's mind. All this would mean nothing, and what really bothered Dr. Cox the most was just how much that got to him.

--

An hour later and JD had _still_ not fallen back to sleep.

The kid's head was still nestled in Perry's lap, and for a moment, Dr. Cox thought he had finally drifted off. But when he went to move them back into normal positions so that he could lay down himself, JD mumbled a sleepy "no" as he tightened his hold on the older man's shirt.

For the life of him, Perry couldn't understand why. It was almost 2:00 in the morning. On any other night, the kid would be out by now. And yeah, the storm was still going on outside, but JD was with him now. That made him feel better, didn't it? God, they were even sort of, well…_cuddling._ Dr. Cox startled a little at that realization. He barely even cuddled with Jordan.

Very quietly, in case the young doctor had fallen asleep this time, Perry attempted to change their positions, but JD was quick to murmur yet another sleep deprived no.

"Newbie," Dr. Cox finally intervened, "you're not gonna get hit by lightening, alright? Now c'mon, kid, it's bed time."

"'M gonna forget…s'not…s'not good…"

Perry felt his eyebrows come together in confusion. "What?" he asked quietly.

"Dream…the daddy part…"

Oh. _Oh._ Dr. Cox didn't know whether to laugh or to frown, but the truth was, JD _would_ forget. It was bitter irony that the kid was worrying over the same thing.

"That wasn't a dream, kiddo, and you won't forget if you fall asleep, alright?" He managed to leave out the part that would've sounded something like, "Once you wake up un-hypnotized, you won't just forget about that, but you'll forget about everything that happened this week." Damn...

"Mmkay…sing little please?"

"Newbie, you're practically sleep talking. What was that, now?"

"Was soft an' nice. Like last time…"

Right. Last time, Dr. Cox had hummed JD to sleep when the brunet complained of the room being too quiet. Perry still didn't know where he had gotten that tune from, and was now wondering if he hadn't gotten it from anywhere at all. In fact, he was pretty sure he had made it up on the spot. The older man shook his head. Whatever the song was, it was now JD's, and the hypnotized doctor wanted to hear it one more time.

So Perry started humming. Low and soft and unexplainably warm. And if anyone else had been listening, they wouldn't have been able to believe that such beautiful, baritone notes could be heard from such a rough person like Dr. Cox, but no one else _was_ listening. Just JD. And by the way his eyes fluttered closed as his thumb found its way back into his mouth, it seemed he was thoroughly enjoying the melody.

**_A/N: _**_Like I said in the above, shorter than usual. Actually, about two pages shorter than usual, but I promise it's not out of laziness. The next two chapters are going to be rather hectic, and then, of course, there's the final chapter. I wanted this set aside as a sort of tender moment between just the two of them, especially before we get into some of the deeper stuff. Again, I apologize for the wait, and thank you guys tremendously for all your patience and wonderful reviews. Until next time!_


	13. Chapter 13

_**A/N:**__ This chapter fought me pretty hard, I must admit. I finally got the words I wanted to cooperate with me to a certain extent, so here it is. Thanks again to all you readers and reviewers. Seriously, you have no idea how happy it makes me to know how much you're enjoying this story. It makes it all the more fun to write. :) Well, after this chapter, just two more to go. Crazy, right? Enjoy!_

_**Disclaimer:**_ _I own a very large nothing._

**Chapter 13:**

Dr. Cox awoke the next morning to someone clinging to his back. It took him a second to realize that they weren't Jordan's claws digging into his skin, but JD's slack embrace as he slept against his mentor's frame.

The brunet made tiny noises as he slept, and for a moment, Perry was tempted to lay a while longer and listen; to relax in the faint glow of early morning and let his worries roll away.

But that was never Perry's style.

He knew today was important. Tomorrow, Jordan would come home from the conference in Buffalo, and JD had to be out of here and un-hypnotized before that happened. Dr. Cox had to think – _really_ think – about what it was he said or did that caused JD to slip back into his current state of mind.

Slowly as to not wake the kid, Perry made his way out of bed, gently untangling the younger doctor's arms as he did so. JD stirred for just a moment, mumbling something that sounded like "unicorns." Dr. Cox rolled his eyes as he made his way for the shower. He needed to be awake and alert if he was going to spend the rest of his day thinking about the trigger word, because God…he honestly had _no_ idea what he could have said to make the kid the way he was now.

--

"Waffles!"

JD bounced into the kitchen almost an hour later to find his mentor making what could only be described as an epic breakfast. "You made waffles!" he shouted happily again.

"Figured you'd like them."

JD let out a surprise little gasp at how big they were. "These don't look like the ego ones. These look like the fancy kind!"

"Yeah, Newbie. They're homemade. They're for you, too."

"You made these for me?"

Dr. Cox set the plate down in front of his protégé. Three waffles covered in syrup and blueberries were piled before him. He tried not to grin as JD was damn near close to drooling, but as quickly as the urge had come, it faded. He didn't have time to entertain Newbie today; he was too busy trying to figure out how to make the hypnotized doctor better. So this was his gesture – his silent apology, in a sense – homemade waffles. "I rah-_healy_ can't believe that I'm about to say this, but –"

"But, what?"

"…You can sing the Waffle Song. If…if you want to…"

JD's doe blue eyes glowed at this announcement. He inhaled slowly before letting it out in one giant, music filled breath. "Oh it's waffle time, it's waffle time! Won't you have some –"

Perry turned towards the counter to fill his own plate, eyes twitching from the song. But if it made JD happy, than he supposed it was worth it.

--

_Think, Per, think! Okay, what did I do? No, what did I _say? _The kid bought me a coffee, and then he fell asleep in the on-call room. But then later when _I _went in there… Damn it! What did I say!?_

Dr. Cox sat at the kitchen table, massaging the bridge of his nose with a look of worn frustration. He'd been so tired when he went in the on-call room that day, just to find Newbie asleep there himself. He could remember lying down on the bed, noticing him, and then, well…it was at that point where his memory drew a blank.

_Think, damn it, think!_ _What did I say? It had to have been something small if I'm having this much trouble remembering it. What did I - ?_

"Daddy?"

Perry inwardly startled. Not just at being interrupted from his thoughts, but at the title in which he had been called. Not that he wasn't used to being called Daddy, but only by his son. And even that was rare, seeing as how Jack usually took to calling him "Pewwy."

He turned to JD sharply, not meaning to look as frustrated as he did. The brunet shrunk back instantly, to which Perry immediately softened. "Sorry there, Newbie. I – Never mind. What did you want?"

"I-I wanted…"

Dr. Cox couldn't help but tap his foot impatiently. It was clear the kid wanted something, but now he was just shuffling in place, staring shyly at his feet. Perry knew it was mostly his reaction to JD interrupting him that had the kid suddenly acting so hesitant, but the other and much more _urgent_ part of him knew that he couldn't do this today. God only knew how much he wanted to, but – "C'mon, Newbie, tell me."

"I was wondering if maybe…maybe you wanted to watch a movie…?"

Perry was about to decline as fast as he could, wanting to get rid of the temptation as soon as possible. But truthfully…would watching a movie with the kid really be procrastinating? It would make JD happy just to have him next to him on the couch. He wouldn't have to pay attention to the actual film as long as he was present. He could sit next to him and continue on thinking about what it was he'd said to make JD the way he was. "Sure, kid. We can watch a movie."

JD rocked on his heels excitedly, not having expected that answer. "Can we watch the Lion King again?"

"Yeah, Newbie. That's fine."

The brunet couldn't help but bounce a little as Dr. Cox stood from his place to put the DVD in its player. The hypnotized doctor settled happily beside his caretaker on the couch, and for a moment, Perry forgot all about the time limit they were under. For just a moment, he let himself relax.

--

The movie had been more of a distraction than Perry initially thought. Well, not so much the film itself, but he had once again found himself watching JD's reaction to everything on the screen. The kid had undoubtedly seen the movie a hundred times before, yet his reactions were just as enthusiastic as if this was his first. His eyes still swelled at Mufasa's death, and he still giggled at Tamone and Pumba's antics. The only way anyone would be able to tell that this wasn't the kid's first time watching the movie was that JD knew all the lyrics and never once hesitated to sing a long.

It was a relief, however, when the movie neared its end. Dr. Cox knew he needed to spend a lot more time thinking, but he didn't want to hurt the kid by just getting up and leaving. But when he turned to look at his young protégé, he couldn't help but grin, his silent prediction being confirmed when Newbie first told him he wanted to watch the Lion King again.

JD's chin rested wearily on his knees, eyelids closed shut as his body threatened to tip over in sleep.

"Can never make it to the end, can you kid?" Perry asked quietly as he stood from the couch, easing JD down on his side. The brunet's thumb instantly found its way to his mouth, while Dr. Cox went about covering him with a blanket.

The peaceful moment was short lived, however, when he remembered what he should've been doing instead. He had to think, and he had to think fast. Time was almost up.

--

An hour later and Dr. Cox was _still_ coming up blank. It was infuriating. He could remember walking in, lying down, noticing JD sleeping on the bed next to his, and making a short, sleep deprived comment. He just couldn't remember what, exactly, that comment was.

A sudden yawn from the couch caught his attention. JD sat up and stretched, the blanket falling around his middle as he did so. After rubbing sleepily at his eyes, the young doctor turned around to face his mentor, who was back to sitting at the kitchen table and looking rather serious. "I fell asleep," JD commented simply.

Perry nodded. "You're five, Newbie. You're going to need naps; it's expected."

"You look like you need a nap time too."

The older man quirked an eyebrow, surprised by the comment. "Why is that?"

"Your eyebrows were doing that thing where they get all close and crinkly."

Perry chose to ignore the "crinkly" comment as he realized that JD had caught him thinking. "I was trying to remember something, Newbie, but I'm not tired."

JD was getting ready to open his mouth in reply, but a very loud, very sudden gurgle cut the young doctor off. The brunet looked down at his stomach, clearly startled, and couldn't help but blush as his stomach let out yet another growl. Perry hid a grin as JD poked it experimentally, as if testing how hungry he truly was. After another second or so, the kid looked up at him shyly. "Can we have dinner now?"

"Seems like I don't have much of a choice now, do I?"

JD giggled as Perry set to work. Maybe food would help him remember. Okay, so that made close to no sense, especially in since he wasn't particularly hungry at the moment, but he was willing to try anything at this point.

Fifteen minutes later and the hotdogs were done and boiled. "Ketchup or mustard, kid?"

JD, who had been sitting in the living room with his legos, darted to the kitchen excitedly, his stomach now practically screaming for food. "Ketchup! And do you have pickles?"

Dr. Cox, surprised that the kid was willing to eat something green, nodded and grabbed the jar from the refrigerator. After squirting some ketchup inside the hotdog bun – mustard for himself – he handed JD the plate of food, who took it gratefully as he made his way over to the table. Perry placed his own plate on the table, getting ready to sit down himself, when a sudden clinking of keys prevented him from doing so.

No way.

No, no, no, no, _no!_ Not until tomorrow, damn it! She wasn't supposed to come home till tomorrow!

But Dr. Cox could only stare at the door in horror as it threw itself open. And there, in its frame, stood Jordan; traveling bags in hand. "Hey, Per-Bear. I know I'm home early, but does that really require gawking? Now come help me with my bags."

"J-Jordan...how are you he – I mean…what?"

There was a moment of silence as Jordan took in one of those rare and almost frightening moments when Dr. Cox was actually left speechless.

"You know, despite the fact that we're both what some would call emotionally crippled, I kind of thought, you know…you'd _miss_ me while I was gone. I mean, I know we didn't leave off all happy and butterfly like, but when do we ever? Oh, and if you're wondering where Jack is, he's still at my mother's. He's not supposed to come home till tomorrow anyway, so I figured I'd let him stay and have some fun. And yes, Perry, I know. Who could _possibly_ have fun with 'The Dragon Lady,' but your son happens to like his grandma, and I'd rather him not think that she's going to attack at any given moment and eat him whole. And by the way, why is DJ here?"

Perry, who had been standing almost protectively in front of JD, had shifted a little during Jordan's speech. The brunet was now staring at her, hot dog untouched and blinking rapidly. Finally, he spoke. "Who's she, Daddy?"

Dr. Cox closed his eyes in silent defeat as Jordan's snapped to full attention. "'_Daddy?_'" she repeated incredulously. "Perry, what on earth - ?"

Dr. Cox grabbed her by the elbow, dragging her into the next room over. "Listen to me, _please_. Just this once, you have gee­-_ot_ to listen. This is going to sound as crazy as crazy gets, but the kid is hypnotized. Yes, hypnotized. He thinks he's five. Jordan, _look at me_. Five. As in, five years old. And I know, I know – hypnosis is for birthday parties and bad Vegas lounges, but this is _real,_ Jordan. As crazy as it sounds, this is ra-_heel-_ly-eely real. He's been staying here because let's face it – we have half of Toys-R-Us in this place. And yeah, he calls me Daddy. That…that didn't actually happen till last night, but that's beside the point. He calls me that and I let him because the kid's really attached to me, Jordan, and I – Listen, I got us both off for the week but tomorrow's the last day, and _I'm_ supposed to figure out how to _un-_hypnotize him before we _both_ have to go back to work, which is what I've been _trying_ to figure out all week. But – Jordan…?"

Jordan, who had been looking back and forth between Perry to JD, stopped and did a double take at the young doctor still sitting at their kitchen table. She jerked her elbow away from her ex-husband's sharply, leaving a confused and slightly taken aback Dr. Cox. He only hesitated for a moment as Jordan marched over to where JD sat, getting ready to eat his meal, but then he was hurriedly following her.

"Jordan Godzilla Sullivan! What are you doing!? _Jordan!_"

He caught up to her just as she was yanking the hotdog from JD's grasp, who had just been getting ready to take his first bite.

JD let out a startled yelp, not expecting his food to be taken away, and most certainly not understanding why this complete and total stranger was picking on him and his mentor.

"For God's sake, Jordan! Just because I didn't tell you about Newbie here doesn't mean you have to make _him_ suffer through the fiery hell storm that is –" But Dr. Cox stopped talking when he realized what she was doing, mainly in that, well…he was stunned.

Wordlessly, Jordan removed the hot dog from its bun and set it on the plate, cutting it up into tiny little chunks. JD seemed to have understood what she was up to before Perry, most likely because this was something his mom had done for him as well. While still a little confused as to who exactly this new person was, he waited patiently for her to finish cutting his dinner into bite sized pieces.

When she was done, she chucked the bun and squirted a small pile of ketchup onto his plate for JD to dip in. "There you go, DJ."

The brunet stared up at her for another moment, still a little wary, but then he gave a shy little "Thank you," and went about eating his meal.

Jordan marched back over to Perry, arms crossed and looking just about ready to give a lecture. "If Sally no-chin over there really thinks he's five, then you can't just give him a whole hotdog like that! He could've choked! God, Perry, don't you know these things by now? I'm just surprised the kid's forehead isn't covered in stitches."

Perry silently thanked whatever powers that were that JD was wearing long pants.

"Anyway, I'm not going to ask how this happened. I'm just…not. But whatever, I believe you. And no, I'm not mad. I could've come home to worse, like the time Jack got drunk off of rum cake. But I'm not staying either, because it's still just a little too out there, even for me, so I'll be at my mothers until you somehow manage to sort this thing out, alright?"

"I…yeah. Yeah, that's fine. Jordan, I –"

"Spare me the sentiments, Per. I know you don't like voicing them anyway. Yes, I know you love me. Yes, I'm being generous today. No, I'm not giving you a reason. Just –"

But Perry's lips were crushed against his ex-wife's a second later, preventing her from saying whatever it was she was about to express.

"Ew!"

The two turned to JD quickly, who was staring at them from the kitchen table, tongue sticking out in protest of the scene. "Kissing is yucky," he stated matter-of-factly.

Jordan quirked an eyebrow. "You really are five, aren't you...?"

JD looked surprised at this comment, but held up five fingers and wiggled them proudly. "Of course I am!"

"Uh-huh… Anyway," she continued, turning back to Perry, "I'm going to my mothers. Call me when DJ is right in the head."

"Bye, Jordan."

"Bye, Perry."

Dr. Cox watched as his ex-wife picked up her bags and left the apartment. The woman was a fire breathing, baby eating, cold-hearted chore. But only when she chose to be.

--

JD sat on the living room floor, playing with his legos for the second time that afternoon. Perry watched him from the couch, though his mind was somewhere else entirely. Jordan's early arrival hadn't thrown him off like he thought it would, especially in since she chose to wait it out at her mothers. If she had stayed, it would've been hard to keep on taking care of JD the way he had been. And while he was grateful that the Dragon Lady wasn't putting up a fight in this particular case scenario, that didn't change the fact that he was still on a time limit. Tomorrow was _still_ the end of their week, and the two of them needed to go back to work. Yet whenever he tried thinking of what it was he could have possibly said to cause JD's relapse, the memory refused to come back to him.

"I have a lot of nicknames," JD commented suddenly.

"What?"

The brunet reached over for the yellow lego piece, placing it carefully on top of his miniature castle. "I have a lot of nicknames. I thought I just had three, but I have…" JD stopped here to count on his fingers, making sure his adding was correct. "Four," he finally finished.

"Where did this come from?" Perry asked a little amused.

"Well, the lady who cut my hot dog for me called me DJ. Isn't that a nickname?"

Perry chose to leave out that it was actually Jordan's way of acting as though he wasn't important enough to remember, and nodded. "Yeah, I guess you could call it that..."

"And Bambi Lady calls me Bambi."

Dr. Cox rolled his eyes at the more than obvious comment. Still, he was curious as to what the other two were, even if he already did know what one of them was. "And?" he encouraged.

"And you call me Newbie and kiddo."

Before Dr. Cox could congratulate himself on getting the Newbie thing right, a sudden bolt of realization hit him.

And it hit him hard.

Just like that, he could hear his own tired words from simply a week ago, playing loudly, _too_ loudly, inside his head. "_Wiped out too, eh kiddo?" _

Oh God. Oh God, oh God, oh God.

And suddenly he was hearing Dr. Michaels' words; loud and clear and painfully strong. _"See…if you said something that you said to him often when he was last in this state, something you haven't said since he became _un_-hypnotized, then that could've been what caused it."_

"_Wiped out too, eh kiddo?"_

Kiddo. Kiddo. Kiddo. Kiddo.

"Daddy? Daddy? Dr. Cox?"

Perry startled, sharp blue eyes turning quickly to face a much softer pair. "JD…"

"What's 'a matter?"

"…Get your coat, Newbie. We have an appointment to go to."

"What? Where?"

"It's time to go see Dr. Michaels again."

_**A/N:**_ _Sorry this one took a bit longer, but at least it's lengthier than the last chapter. The line, "Hypnosis is for birthday parties and bad Vegas lounges," was taken from the episode, "My Day at the Races," from season five. I didn't want to say this in the first author's note in since it would've given things away, but major kudos to _**Graffiti2DMyHeart** _for guessing what was going to happen in this chapter in terms of Jordan. :) Which reminds me; I'm really sorry if she was out of character. I tried my best with her, though I admittedly don't have a lot of practice when writing her character. Well, that's about it from me. Hope you enjoyed it! (Despite where it left off, which I do apologize for) Until next time!_

_**P.S.**_ – _Kudos to whoever caught the small "Are We Done Yet?" reference. ;)_


	14. Chapter 14

_**A/N: **__So here it is; second to last chapter. It's a lengthy one, as you can see, but hopefully it'll be worth it for you guys. And as always, I thank you all immensely for the encouragement and reviews. They mean a lot to me, and I love seeing how happy you guys get from this story. Oh! I didn't say this in the last chapter, but congrats to all those who figured out that the trigger word was "kiddo." :) Well, that's it for now. Enjoy, guys!_

_**Disclaimer:**_ _I own a very large nothing._

**Chapter 14:**

"Ride into town, walk down the street, get back in the car, and buckle up into my seat! Yes that's the way we do it, riding in our big red car!"

Dr. Cox turned up the Wiggles CD just a little bit louder. If Newbie wanted to sing, then he was damn sure gonna let him. Because this would never happen again. This right here – a scenario that he got way too used too – would never happen again. _Suck it up, Per! Since when were you hee-_ever _this emotional!? Now listen: This isn't like last time. You won't have to go on pretending like you don't care for the kid. Your relationship is already a million times better than it was, so what's the problem here!?_

Well, for starters, he had already been having trouble pulling back on treating JD like a kid once he was taken out of his hypnotized state the first time around. It was only going to be that much harder to break the habit this time, especially in since he now knew _why_ it had been so hard for him originally.

Which led to problem number two. The reason he'd been having trouble getting Little JD out of his mind was that he still wasn't sure if _his_ hypnotized Newbie was the _real_ five-year-old Newbie: If the kid he'd been taking care of for the past week was really how JD had been when he was _actually_ five.

He knew it shouldn't matter. That even if JD's current state was more of a fabrication than anything else, the kid still looked up to and admired him. And he knew the real JD – the adult JD – looked up and admired him too. So he knew; he knew it shouldn't have mattered.

But it did. For one reason or another, it did.

Perry begrudgingly pulled into the hypnosis' office parking lot. It was slightly better than last time in since he knew now that Dr. Michaels wasn't an incompetent fool. Still though…

Dr. Cox turned to JD, ready to tell him it was time to go in, but the brunet was looking down at his lap shyly; fidgeting in his seat. "Newbie? You alright there?"

"…Dr. Michaels is nice, right?"

Ah, he almost forgot. JD had been very shy around Michaels. No wonder the kid suddenly seemed so hesitant.

"Yeah, Newbie. He's trustworthy enough, alright? And c'mon, kid…I'm gonna be in the room with you the whole time. Now whaddya' say."

JD looked to Dr. Cox and nodded, a small smile gracing his lips as he did so. He was still a little wary, but if his mentor said it was safe, then it was safe.

--

Perry walked into the waiting room silently, surprised at how little he flinched when JD made a grab for his hand. He ignored the secretary's half a second stare and led his young protégé to where they had taken a seat last time.

It wasn't long at all before Dr. Michaels stepped into the waiting room to greet them. It hadn't been hard to guess what it was Dr. Cox had called about earlier.

Perry stood from his spot and nodded, shaking the hand presented to him. Dr. Michaels offered him a genuine smile, and tried to make his expression even warmer as he approached his "young" patient. "Hey there, little guy. You remember me, right?"

The brunet actually managed to make eye contact before hastily turning away. His lap was apparently very interesting. "Uh-huh. You gave me a lolli."

Michael's smiled. "That's right. I did. Can you follow Dr. Cox and I into the office for a little while? I'll give you another lollipop, if you want one."

"I…am I sick?"

The hypnotist looked to Dr. Cox for a moment, as both were rather taken aback by the question. "'Are you sick?'"

"People don't usually go to the doctor's unless they're sick, and I've been here two times. Is it because I'm sick? I don't feel sick, but…i-is something wrong with me…?"

The hypnotist stepped back a little, giving Dr. Cox the room he needed in order to bend down to JD's level. "Nothing's wrong with you, Newbie. It's a hard situation to explain, but you're not sick. I promise."

"You sure?"

Perry nodded. "I'm sure." The older man then gently urged his young protégé up from his seat, who complied without argument.

Dr. Cox's focus was suddenly on the hypnotist, who had been waiting patiently from the sidelines. "He's ready." Michaels nodded, and as the black haired doctor led both mentor and protégé into his office, Perry tried his best to ignore the little voice in the back of his head that continued on mocking him: "_He's ready, but you're not."_

--

Inside the office, JD was once again led to the pile of toys in the room. Sooner than later he was off in his own imaginary world, allowing time for the two "grown-up" doctors to talk.

"So I'm assuming you figured out what caused his relapse, then?"

"Kiddo," Perry answered dryly.

"'Kiddo?'"

"I called him Kiddo in the on-call room that day while he was sleeping, and that word fits the requirements of the 'Trigger word' you described. I called him that a lot during his first hypnotism, but once he got better, I just…stopped."

Dr. Michaels nodded. "Alright then, well…I guess it's time we go about un-hypnotizing him. Though, I guess in this case, it's not really 'we' so much as it is 'you.'"

Perry's eyebrows shot up, clearly surprised by this new piece of information. "Me? _You're_ the hypnotist. Why in the hell are we even here if you're not going to do it yourself!?"

"In most cases, I would," he answered calmly, "but in since you were the one to trigger it, you also have to be the one to un-trigger it. Dr. Cox, you don't have to worry. For this kind of hypnotism, or rather, the reverse of a hypnotism, the procedure is very simple to the point of being ordinarily dull."

"Ya' mind telling me what that procedure is then, 'doctor?'"

"All you have to do is wait for JD to go to sleep. Then while he's resting comfortably, say something that you never said to him when he was in this state, but that you would frequently say to him as an adult."

Dr. Cox was getting ready to pinch the bridge of his nose and scream, clearly frustrated at the idea of another guessing game, but then it hit him, and he suddenly became very grateful for Carla's interference from the first time around.

"_You cannot call him that this weekend, understand me? No more girls names until he's better!"_

Perry found his lips pulling upward at the memory. Who knew listening to the mother of all mother-hens would come in handy? Okay, that was a lie. He trusted Carla, but still… "Girls' names," he answered quietly.

It was Michaels' turn to raise an eyebrow. "'Girls' names?'"

"I, um, yeah…" Perry answered awkwardly, feeling a little guilty over what used to be a daily ritual. "I used to call the kid girls' names."

"Well then, girls' names it is. Just call him one when he's fully asleep, and JD will be good as new."

Dr. Cox chanced a glance at JD, who continued about with his selection of toys, making "choo-choo" noises to the train he was currently gliding across the floor.

"Something wrong?"

Perry whipped his head around so hard that he was surprised nothing sprained. Had he really been staring at JD that long? "No," he answered quickly.

Now it was Michaels who turned to look at Perry's protégé. He smiled some as JD dug through the box to find the little, plastic conductor. "Must've been sparse on money growing up, huh…"

Dr. Cox looked at him quizzically, not knowing where that comment came from or what it meant. "Excuse me?"

"Well, it could just be I'm over thinking it, but JD seems very easily entertained. Creative too. He can make up imaginary games with just the simplest of props. I bet he could do it with nothing to work with as well. I mean…that toy train is really old, and he seems absolutely thrilled by it; completely content. If he didn't have a lot growing up, that would make sense. So would resorting to his own imagination for entertainment as well."

Dr. Cox knew JD's dad had been on Office Supply Salesmen, and while his salary was little, it probably got even worse when it was just the kid's mother left to take care of him. And not just JD, but Dan too. So yeah, all of that made sense. But wait a second…if JD was behaving this way because of his _real_ childhood, then that meant…

"So," Perry began slowly, surprised at how anxious he felt upon realizing the answer might not be what he was hoping for. "So, the kid acts, you know…the way he would've if he was really five? When he _used_ to be five?"

"Of course! Hypnotism is all about the mind, so if he's hypnotized to believe he's five, his memories are going to go back to when he really was that age. It's admittedly odd, but in retrospect, it makes sense."

And it did. It made a _lot _of sense. And Perry suddenly realized how foolish he had been for not figuring it out sooner. After all, JD had, had the huge breakdown about not knowing why he wasn't in his real home the first time around. Then there were the times he'd talk about Dan, or even simpler things; like when he told Carla while getting stitched up that his mom used to sew up his toys. JD's hypnotized state was based on real memories. He was the same five-year-old Dr. Cox had seen in that picture a month ago. It wasn't just a fabrication. It was real.

And somehow that made everything just a little bit better.

"Guess I should take the kid home now," he said carefully. "He'll be wanting a nap soon anyway, so…"

Dr. Michaels stood from his place behind the desk to shake the Irishman's hand. Dr. Cox gave a nod, and even though a part of him _loathed _it, he was able to manage a genuine enough sounding "Thanks."

Michaels grinned. "You bet. Hey…tell Carla I said hi, alright?"

"Will do."

Perry turned to JD, clearing his throat just loud enough to grab the kids' attention. The brunet looked up from his train, startled, but smiled at his mentor all the same.

"Time to go, kid."

JD stood from his spot and promptly followed Perry towards the door. He stopped, however, when he reached its frame. Silently, cautiously, JD turned to look at Michaels. He shifted where he stood and had a hard time pulling his gaze away from his feet, but he seemed determined on something, and even Michaels found himself rather curious. "JD…?"

"T-Thank you, and…bye-bye."

Dr. Michaels smiled warmly as Perry leaned against the door frame, silently proud of Newbie for overcoming one of his fears.

"You're welcome, JD. You be good now, okay?"

The brunet nodded, and then he was out the door.

--

Back at the apartment, Dr. Cox went straight to packing JD's duffel bag. He knew that after he un-hypnotized Newbie, he would have to drive him home while he was still asleep. If JD woke up in his mentor's apartment, he'd most likely end up feeling panicked and confused, especially with a weeks worth of memories missing.

He had already called Carla to let her know he was coming by to drop him off later, and that she and Gandhi should get a head start on thinking of a liable excuse for JD's missing week. Telling the kid he got drunk and blacked out could work for a weekend, but a whole week? They needed a better story than that.

JD, who had been watching a Wiggles sing-a-long video in the living room, suddenly appeared in the doorway, rubbing his eyes and letting out a tired, little yawn. "'M sleepy…" he muttered softly.

Dr. Cox swallowed. It was perfect timing, really. He had just finished packing the kid's stuff, and Carla was already informed of their soon to be arrival. Still… Perry closed his eyes. No. This time was different. Yes, pulling back on the reigns was going to be a bit of a challenge in since he had spent a whole week taking care of the kid, but knowing what made it hard for him to let go in the first place also helped, especially knowing that, that very worry was resolved. Not only that, but he wasn't going to have to pretend he didn't care for his protégé this time either. Their relationship had already changed for the better. And while it remained true that JD wouldn't remember even a trace of this entire week, Perry suddenly found himself feeling surprisingly…okay. Just okay, but it was still better than he thought he'd be feeling initially.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah, Newbie. It's probably about time for your nap, there. Hop into bed."

JD did as he was told, snuggling into the blankets with sleepy enthusiasm as Perry made his way to join him on the other side.

"You put my picture on the fridge," the brunet suddenly commented, his voice thick with sleep.

"What?"

"The picture that I drew you." JD gave him a warm smile, turning his soft blue eyes on Perry. "I saw it on the fridge. You really like it?"

Dr. Cox let JD's head fall on his shoulder as he himself gave one of his rare but genuine smiles. "Yeah, kid, I do."

"Mmm… 'S quiet again."

Before he could stop himself, Perry felt his fingers caress through JD's hair. His protégé gave a content sigh as he leaned into the touch, waiting for his favorite lullaby to begin. And it did. It was low and warm and the most calming thing JD had ever heard. And somehow, the soft, gentle humming seemed to hold everything JD loved about his mentor. It was straight from him, and it was bliss.

It was JD's sigh that stopped Dr. Cox from his humming, if only for a moment, to say something he would never be able to say to him again. "Night, kiddo."

"Nighty-night," he answered softly, pretty much already gone.

A mere three minutes later and Dr. Cox could both hear and feel the rhythm of JD's steady breathing. The sleeping doctor's thumb had already found its way into his mouth, as his body curled into the older man's side.

Dr. Cox drew in a long, steadying breath, preparing himself for the transition. He had to say it. No more thinking it through. It was time. Quickly but clearly, the red headed doctor let the words escape him: "That song really does it for you, huh Carol?"

The reaction was almost instantaneous. JD's thumb slipped out of his mouth as his body uncurled itself, a small moan escaping him as his head slipped off of Perry's shoulder and into his lap.

Dr. Cox let go of the breath he'd been holding, mystified at what just took place. He stayed like that for a while longer, staring at his protégé's sleeping form. He couldn't help but wonder how, even though he was now un-hypnotized, JD still managed to look so young.

Another small noise emitted from JD, alerting Dr. Cox that it was, in fact, time to hit the road. Carefully, Perry hoisted the younger man up, carrying him like he did the many times he'd fallen asleep during their week. He unwrapped one arm from JD just long enough to grab the duffel bag, and then they were out the door.

--

It had been too difficult getting JD in the back of the Porsche. He could've, but probably not without waking him up, so instead he set him gently inside on the passengers seat, pressing the small button on the side that got the chair lying down. The doe eyed doctor made another small noise as he shifted in his new sleeping arrangement, but settled moments later, breaths becoming deep and even once again. He didn't even stir when Perry started up the car.

Dr. Cox was about half way to Carla and Gandhi's apartment when a more than familiar voice had the man jumping out of his skin.

"Dr…Dr. Cox?"

It was a good thing he'd been waiting for the red light to turn. His head snapped towards his protégé so fast that he realized he probably _did_ sprain something this time. "Newbie!?"

Shit! He hadn't expected him to wake up so soon! Hadn't he been out for hours last time? Still, that had been Mr. Edwards' handiwork. The instructions on how to un-hypnotize JD came straight from a professional this time. It was probably perfectly normal that Newbie was already awake.

But Perry found himself calming when he settled long enough to look at JD's expression. His eyes were fogged with sleep, and his voice had been laced with it when he first said his name. The kid definitely wasn't coherent at the moment. In fact, he was so out of it, that he would probably believe just about anything that was said to him. Hmm…

"Dr. Cox…? Is…where're we? It's not…'is okay?"

Perry had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from grinning. Two seconds ago he had been in a panic, but now? Well, this was sort of amusing.

"We're on a car ride, Newbie. A magical one."

"Magical…?"

Perry nodded as the light turned green, silently thanking a God he was slowly beginning to believe in that Newbie's very tired state was willing to believe just about anything at the moment. "_Very_ magical, but the magic will wear off if you don't go back to sleep."

"Sleep…I want to 'cause i-it's good. The part with the…the sleeping and –"

"Go to sleep, Newbie."

"Is'…you sure? 'Cause is' not…is' not all the way…"

"I'm sure, Newbie. Go back to sleep, alright?"

"Mmm…'kay. Gonna…gonna sleep now…"

Perry nodded encouragingly, no longer able to fight the grin that had taken over his expression. "That's right, Newbie. You sleep."

"'Kay…"

JD drifted off once more, blissfully unaware of the world around him. Despite the turmoil that was currently stirring at the base of Perry's stomach, Dr. Cox couldn't help but continue to grin as he drove the rest of the way to the apartment. Even as an adult, JD managed to make him smile, and really…that was saying a lot more than most could in terms of Perry Cox.

--

"Delivery," Dr. Cox said sarcastically when Carla answered the door.

Turk was there in a heartbeat as Perry silently handed him over to the surgeon to be put into an actual bed. JD stirred for a moment, the switch off having almost woken him up, but soon after he settled comfortably enough in his best friends hold.

"So he's back to normal?" Carla asked quietly, even though JD was far enough out of range where he wouldn't have heard her.

"Yeah, he's fine. Though he did wake up in the car on the way over here…"

"He what!? What did he do? What did you _say?_"

"Relax, will you? The kid was so out of it that he didn't even know what was going on. He recognized me, but that's about it."

"But…how did you get him to fall back to sleep?"

Dr. Cox grinned then, surprising the Latina nurse before him. "Told him we were on a magical car ride, and that he had to go back to sleep if he didn't want it to wear off."

Carla just gawked at him before breaking into small chuckles. "Oh, Bambi… I bet he's having some pretty fun dreams though."

Perry snickered. "Yeah, probably."

The quiet laughter died down after a moment or so, and the two stood in silence, not really knowing what to say. Well, Dr. Cox was out of things to talk about, but Carla wasn't. She just wasn't sure how to go about it. But after another moment of silence she decided it was time to voice her concern. "Dr. Cox…are you okay?"

"I'm not a child, Carla. You don't have to –"

"I never said you were a child, but don't act like my question is nothing more than someone just overly concerned, because last time, you _weren't_ okay."

Dr. Cox let out a frustrated sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose as he did so. "I'm fine, alright? I'm fine. I figured out some…things. And Newbie already knows I give a damn now, so there shouldn't be any of that…whatever the hell it was last time."

Before Carla had the chance to respond, Turk stepped out of JD's room, ignoring them both and heading straight for a small medical kit they kept under the kitchen sink. "Baby?" Carla asked curiously. "What are you doing?"

"JD's stitches are still in. He's probably gonna wonder what's up if he wakes up and sees them there."

"Good call, Gandhi."

Turk nodded, inwardly shocked that he'd been complimented not just once, but twice by Dr. Cox within the same week.

As the surgeon went back to the room with the tools he needed to remove his best friends' stitches, Perry turned back to Carla, a question of his own rising to the surface. "So did you and Milk Dud figure out what you plan on telling the kid when he wakes up and wonders why he has no memory from the last week?"

"Concussion," Carla answered simply. "We're going to tell him he slipped at work and got a concussion; that he spent most of his week sleeping at the hospital, but once we realized he'd be okay, we brought him home so he could wake up in a more comfortable environment."

Perry nodded. "Bit of a stretch, but it'll work. Might not pull it off if he was a regular patient, but in since we all work there, the idea of bringing him home isn't too far fetched."

"Thanks for your approval…" the nurse answered sarcastically.

Dr. Cox just smirked. "No problem."

Turk came out once more, a triumphant grin on his face as he went about putting the instruments away. "Stitches came out fine. JD only mumbled something once, but he stayed sleeping."

The older man nodded, taking it as his cue to leave. "Alright then. Better call Jordan and let her know she can finally leave her fire breathing mother's house."

Carla smiled. "Bye, Dr. Cox."

Perry nodded, but not before giving the room in which JD slept soundly a quick but thorough glance. Then he was on his way.

--

Work wasn't as bad as Dr. Cox had expected it to be.

JD seemed a little awkward at first, probably feeling embarrassed that he tripped and knocked himself out in front of a bunch of his co-workers. (Or at least he thought he did) But he soon recovered, falling back into his normal, bouncy steps and following Dr. Cox all over the place.

Perry didn't mind this of course, but there were several times in which he had to remind himself, as he predicted he would have, that JD was no longer thinking on five-year-old terms, or that he didn't _constantly_ need protecting. Like when, on his first day back, he started babbling away to Perry about a patient he had earlier, only to stumble on his own two feet. Dr. Cox had immediately moved to catch the kid, the image of JD on his kitchen floor, clutching his knee, coming back into his mind. But JD caught himself before hitting the linoleum and smiled shyly, rubbing the back of his neck as he did so. "Oops."

Dr. Cox snorted, rolling his eyes while quickly looking him over for injuries, even though the logical part of him _knew_ he was unscathed. "Don't 'Oops,' me, kid. Be more careful, understand?"

JD nodded hurriedly, and the two continued down the hallway as if nothing had happened.

It was just small incidents like that; nothing Perry couldn't handle. But then three days after JD's return to Sacred Heart, the doe eyed doctor started acting weird. Well, weirder than usual, anyway. Dr. Cox would catch JD staring at him. That had happened last time too, but this time, the kid's expression was different. A puzzle was going on behind that gaze; a series of pictures and things he couldn't quite place. Perry sensed it, even though he wasn't positive on what exactly his protégé was contemplating. He would then just whistle his trademark whistle, bringing JD back down to earth. Newbie would often blush and turn away, which was concerning, as usually the kid would just give him his typical, goofy smile, or _at least_ say something seemingly random out loud.

Other times through out the week, JD would be at the nurses' station, eyes focused on nothing in particular. But Perry could practically _see_ the wheels in his head turning. About what though? And why? It all seemed out of place. But at times like these, when JD would finally notice Dr. Cox standing there, he would fumble through the charts in his hands, stumbling over a quick apology and scurrying off, cheeks still a faint shade of red.

Dr. Cox would just quirk an eyebrow and watch him go. It was strange, but nothing was actually wrong with him, so Perry eventually chalked it up to Newbie's embarrassment over thinking he fell in front of everybody again, or maybe even small side effects from the hypnotism.

That's why, at the end of their first week back, he was very surprised to hear a knock at his door, especially at ten o' clock at night.

"Hold on, hold on," Perry mumbled in frustration, clearly annoyed at being interrupted during one of the few times in his week where he could actually have some "me time."

Dr. Cox swung the door open, but the scowl that had been planted on his expression softened considerably at the sight of his blue eyed visitor. "Newbie…?"

JD looked uncomfortable. He was shifting where he stood, staring at his shoes and opening his mouth over and over, just to go back to closing it. Perry couldn't help but be reminded of how the kid would behave in front of Dr. Michaels: Shy and hesitant, but trying so hard to be brave.

"Kid…you okay?"

He was surprised when JD's silent blush only deepened at his question.

"I-I…"

"JD," Perry said calmly, hoping to snap his protégé out of this random shy streak he'd been stuck in lately. "JD, what happened?"

Finally, the kid looked up to meet his gaze, blue eyes timidly locking with his own. "Dr. Cox…I-I remember. I remember last week."

_**A/N:**_ _I know, I know; bad cliff hanger, and I apologize for that sincerely, but the next chapter is the last, and I wanted to end it on this note before going into the finale. Anyway guys, I hope you enjoyed this one. Only one more chapter to go. Can you believe it? Until next time!_


	15. Chapter 15

_**A/N: **__Wow, here we are: The final chapter. I know I must sound like a broken record, but really guys – I just want to say how much all of your encouragement and reviews have meant to me, and how thrilled I am that you guys have enjoyed this story so far. So without further ado, here it is: the last chapter. Enjoy. :)_

_**Disclaimer:**_ _I own a very large nothing._

**Chapter 15:**

Dr. Cox could only stare, eyes going wide and mouth hanging open. Did...Did Newbie just say he _remembered!?_ "Uh…what?" The older man tried not to openly cringe at his own response, his inner voice already mocking him for it. "'_Uh…what!?' The great Percival Cox reduced to 'Uh, what?' Nice, Per. Way to go."_

"I, um…I remember last week…?" JD tried again hesitantly, still shifting where he stood. "I mean, I…I, um…I could go. I-If you'd rather not talk about it. I know you're not big on talking about things, and I…I mean, I'm not hear to necessarily talk _about_ it, but maybe, I mean…I'm kinda confused and have some questions? Or…or maybe not. Because I could go, you know…if you really wanted me to. 'Cause it's really not –"

"You're babbling, Newbie."

JD flushed while Dr. Cox silently calmed himself down. The brunet was probably more freaked out than he was at the moment, which was made pretty apparent by his rambling. And it wouldn't do any good to have two doctors stumbling all over their words now, would it? JD remembering certainly wasn't part of the plan, but now that it happened, well, Perry would just have to deal.

"Alright, kid. Standing there staring at your feet isn't going to answer any of your questions now, is it? Come on in."

JD, hesitance still the most dominant feature in his expression, walked in slowly. He stared around the dimly lit apartment, and at first, Dr. Cox thought he was keeping a wary eye out for Jordan.

"The she-devil's resting in her cave, and Jack went to bed hours ago."

"What? Oh...oh, right. No, I…I just kind of, well…I don't remember everything yet – from last week, I mean – but just standing here, looking at your place…I feel kind of sad. Like I miss being here."

Dr. Cox stared quietly for a moment, taking his young protégé in before finally giving a soft nod towards the couch. "Take a seat, Newbie."

JD did as he was told, still finding himself unable to make eye contact with the older man. The two of them sitting on the couch, a good four feet apart from one another, was admittedly awkward. JD swallowed hard. Maybe he shouldn't have come. But just as he was getting ready to add more doubts and worries about showing up at his mentor's apartment, Perry spoke.

"So do you remember the _whole_ week? Or just…bits?"

"Not the whole week, but it's been coming back to me in bits, I guess. More like pictures, really. I'll remember a random incident, and then my mind wraps around that specific moment, and it adds to the rest of the picture so that it actually makes some sense. What I said, what you said…stuff like that."

"Ah," Perry responded simply, clearly taking it all in. "And when did you start remembering?"

"About three days into this week," JD answered, confirming Perry's suspicions. After all, three days in was when Newbie randomly started on that shy streak of his. "At first," JD continued, jarring the older man out of his thoughts. "At first, I thought it was a side effect from my –" here the young doctor paused to make air quotations "– 'Concussion,' though I'm assuming that's not the real reason I missed a week of work, huh…"

Perry stuck with nodding, still focusing on taking everything in.

"But, yeah…" JD started up again. "I realized they weren't side effects, which actually scared me at first, you know? I mean…I thought I was going insane or something. But every time I saw you at work the memories would get clearer and clearer, and then, well…I noticed something that definitely wasn't there the week before."

Dr. Cox quirked a curious eyebrow. "'_Something that wasn't there the week before?'"_ What was Newbie talking about?

But Perry realized _exactly_ what JD had been referring to when he began to roll up his pant leg. Ah, damn it! How did they miss that!? "Your scar," Perry said quietly, even before JD was done rolling up the material.

"Yeah," he answered softly. He startled, however, when Dr. Cox was suddenly leaning towards him. Crap, what did he do wrong?

But Perry wasn't moving closer to rant or to rave. He was getting closer to examine the knee; to make sure the injury was at least healing up alright. JD let a soft smile slip onto his face when he knew the older man wasn't looking. Even before all of this happened, their relationship had improved, JD knew, but he wasn't sure how Dr. Cox would take to him remembering their past week together. If he still couldn't manage to give JD such a simple thing like a hug, would he really be willing to sit down and answer his questions?

But now here he was, sitting in his mentor's apartment and having his injury looked over with a concerned set of eyes.

"Do you remember this happening?" Perry asked suddenly.

Maybe it was just JD's imagination, but he could've sworn he detected a hint of guilt in the older man's tone. "No, actually. I don't. I guess that's kind of weird, considering the scar was the thing that helped me realize I wasn't going nuts, but…every time I try to remember that one, it gets foggy."

To JD's surprise, Perry gave a little wince. "That makes sense. We had to drug you up, kid. You were pretty scared to get stitches, so Gandhi went and got you a sedative."

"I _knew_ Turk saw me like that! I mean, I figured he must've in since he was part of the whole concussion cover up, but most of my memories were just of me and you. But then I randomly started getting bits with Turk and Carla and – Oh, God…"

Dr. Cox, now back on his side of the couch, looked to JD quizzically. "Newbie…?"

"I just remembered something. Elliot…you guys let _Elliot_ see me like that?"

"_That_ was not my doing. That was all Carla. Hell, even Milk Dud thought it was a bad idea."

"So I don't get it…why was she here then?"

Perry shifted uncomfortably, making JD squirm a little himself. Dr. Cox so rarely looked uncomfortable, but it wasn't just that. He looked almost…sad, maybe? Guilty?

"I left to get us some food, and you…you kind of freaked out there, Newbie."

"What…?"

"I thought it'd be better for you to just wait at hom – at the apartment, so I called Carla to come baby-sit. When I went to leave though, you panicked. Thought I wasn't coming back… Anyway, I left after you calmed down, but then Carla was called to the hospital, and she decided instead of calling to _tell_ me that, to call Elliot and have her bust into my apartment. I came home to a rambling Barbie and a kid with ribbons in his hair."

JD flushed. "R-Ribbons?"

Perry couldn't help the grin that came across his face. "Apparently she had you playing dress up."

"Oh, God…can we not tell her I remembered? I don't want her rubbing it in my face."

Perry let out a small laugh in spite of himself. "No skin off my nose, kid."

"Thanks." Another silence, though less awkward than the last, took over then. JD broke it with a question Perry hadn't been expecting. "Why _did_ I think I was so young? And how old did I think I was?"

Dr. Cox chose to ignore the first question and skip right to the second. "You don't remember how old you were?"

JD shook his head. "I know I thought I was a lot younger, but no. I can't remember a specific age."

"Five."

"Five? Really?"

"Yeah. Really."

"Wow… So, um…you still didn't answer my first question. Why did I think I was so little?"

"You, uh…you got hypnotized, Newbie."

"I got…I got _what!?"_

"You got hypnotized."

"How!?"

This was when Dr. Cox had to really stop and think. Should he really go all the way back to when Mr. Edwards first showed up at the hospital? But JD didn't remember any of that, and the kid was already trying so hard to take everything in; processing it and putting it all together at once. And what if…what if JD thought that their relationship had only gotten better because of the initial hypnotism? Sure, that's what led to them _finally_ getting along, but Perry hadn't done that solely because the kid had gotten hypnotized. Yes, Dr. Cox would tell him – eventually – about the original hypnotism, but not now. Not today. It wasn't the right time, and it certainly wasn't fair to JD.

So then how was he going to explain this time around?

"Dr. Cox?"

"It was a trigger word. You were sleeping in the on-call room, and something was said that hypnotized you."

"Wow," JD answered, eyes going wide. The kid seemed to be mystified, and Dr. Cox couldn't say he blamed him.

Suddenly, JD was giggling. Perry looked over at him, eyebrows raised. "Got something you'd like to share, Newbie?"

"Whenever I remembered something, I would remember it through my five-year-old point of view, you know? And you were _really_ tall. I mean, I know in actuality you weren't much taller than me, but I guess because I thought I was five, everything looked a lot bigger. You included."

Perry let out a short laugh. "Makes about as much sense as everything else that's happened so far. So what else do you remember?" Dr. Cox wasn't honestly sure why he asked. Part of him was feeling much more comfortable with the situation, genuinely curious as to what the kid did and did not recall from their week together. But part of him was definitely nervous. What if he remembered some of the more…emotional moments? Would that be a good thing? Would that be a bad thing? Did he really want adult JD to remember that much of his – God help him – _gentler_ side?

"I remember getting sick," JD answered slowly, trying to recall as much of the memory as he could. "Yeah…yeah, I remember that pretty clearly. I had the stomach flu, and I remember being – oh…"

"What's the matter?"

JD flushed. "No, I…I remember being really, um, scared. Geez, can't believe I was that petrified over throwing up." The brunet gave a short, humorless laugh, eyes turned away from his mentor.

Dr. Cox subconsciously moved closer to JD, doing his best to be reassuring, even if he wasn't used to doing so with the young doctor out of his five-year-old state. "Newbie…you ra-_heely_ thought you were five. There was no questioning it. Hell, the only thing that _wasn't_ five about you was your physical appearance, but that's it. So of course you were freaking out there, kid. You didn't know what was going on."

"Yeah…yeah, I know. Uh…this is going to sound weird, but I should probably apologize for a couple of things, huh?"

"What?" Perry leaned forward on the couch, silently wondering how Newbie was capable of throwing him off guard so many times in a manner of minutes.

"Well, there was the finger painting incident, which was actually the first thing I remembered. Then there was me singing too early in the morning. Then there was me trying to make sandwiches when you said not to, even if things after that do get a little fuzzy... Then there was me drinking your coffee, and then –"

A sharp whistle cut the blue eyed doctor off, making him jump in his seat. "Newbie, did you not hear my whole, 'You thought you were five,' explanation from before? It's _fine._ You don't have to come over here and apologize for normal, five year old things. Hell, it's not like you went around throwing tantrums. You were…you were a really good kid, JD."

JD couldn't help the warm feeling that fluttered at the base of his stomach, or the small smile that overtook him as his cheeks turned a faint shade of pink. "O-Okay, then. I…thank you."

"Don't mention it, kid."

"No, I don't mean just for that. I mean…thank you. Thank you for taking care of me when I was like that. I know it must've been awkward for you at first, but…God, I just…thank you so much, Dr. Cox. For everything you did. And…and thank you for…for finding me…"

It took Perry a moment to realize what JD meant about finding him, but when it hit him, it hit him hard. He remembered _that?_ Oh, God… "You, um…you remember the beach, Newbie?"

JD nodded softly. "I remember getting there and you taking me down to the ocean. That was nice… Then I remember being at the ocean again, but with Carla. I wanted…I can't remember what I wanted, to be honest, but I knew I was supposed to go back to our set up; to you. And I remember a crowd of kids with their parents cutting in front of me, and then when they moved aside, I…I couldn't see you. And then I just remember panic. I think at one point somebody yelled at me. I don't remember why, but then my memory clears again, and there was the fun house. I don't know why I thought that'd be safe. I just…did. But I remember really freaking out. There was…there was too much noise and not enough light, and I just…I guess I crawled into the safest place I could think of."

Perry closed his eyes, the words bringing back the image of JD curled up and alone; petrified.

"And then you came," JD continued, voice even softer than before. "You came and…and you got me out of there. I remember me hugging you and you…you hugging me back. You didn't push me off at all, and I…thank you, Dr. Cox."

Perry stared at his protégé for what felt like forever. The kids' hands were folded tightly in his lap, thumbs fiddling together nervously. His voice had been dangerously close to cracking when expressing his gratitude, and his eyes…his eyes were filled to the brim with unshed tears.

"And I remember," the young doctor started up again, gaze still focused solely on his lap. "I remember me calling you…calling you, well…what young kids call their father. And you…you saying that was okay."

Dr. Cox felt his stomach twist nervously. When JD first told him that he remembered, these were the kind of moments he'd felt unsure about. Was this a good thing or a bad thing? How would JD react to this memory? But watching the young doctor before him seemed to push whatever worries he had about their current situation aside. He looked so…_little._ So hesitant and scared. And the craziest part was that only a few months ago, something like this would've made Dr. Cox angry. Not that he didn't actually give a damn back then, but he just wasn't at a point where he ever imagined letting JD know he cared. He probably would've said something along the lines of learning to grow a pair or how he just had to suck it up, but everything was different now, and Perry couldn't find a single protest to the change in their relationship.

"Did you know," JD continued, startling Dr. Cox from his silent contemplation. "I didn't even call my real dad that? Dad. Just dad. But for one reason or another, I never called him… Well, it doesn't matter. I just…I just came over here to say thank you, and…and I know I was kind of bothering you about giving me a hug – before all of this started, I mean – and I just…you've given me so much more than I could ever really ask for, so I won't keep on asking for that, okay? And I…I'll get why things might be a little awkward at first, but part of me was scared to come over here because we seemed to finally be getting along, and I didn't want to mess things up again. I just –"

"Newbie."

JD turned to him slowly, expecting to be told he'd been rambling again, or that thank you's and apologies weren't necessary. But instead he came across a sight he in no way ever expected to see. Ever.

Dr. Cox was still sitting on the couch, but his body was turned towards his protégé; back straight and arms out and open - waiting. Oh my God. Was he…was he really offering a…? No. No way. Dr. Cox had pulled this prank on him a number of times before. He'd lure JD in, and then _bam!_ He would turn him away, leaving JD to feel rejected and embarrassed.

But that was before all of this, and after everything JD was remembering, was it really so odd to imagine Dr. Cox sincerely offering him a hug?

Surreal? Yes. Odd? No. Not anymore.

JD didn't realize he was still staring until the older man nodded encouragingly. "C'mere, kid," he said in a voice that JD, or anyone for that matter, so rarely heard coming from Dr. Cox.

Slowly, cautiously, JD leaned forward. The moment his chin found a spot on Perry's shoulder, two large arms wrapped around him, allowing JD's own arms to return the gesture. JD couldn't help but sigh, the feel of the older man's embrace unbelievably comforting. "I didn't expect this," JD commented softly, still not letting go.

He heard his mentor give a small chuckle. "Yeah, kid, neither did I. You remembering last week wasn't exactly part of the plan, but…"

JD froze. But what?

"But it's alright, Newbie."

Much to JD's disappointment, Perry began pulling away from the embrace, but when he placed both hands on JD's shoulders to look him in the eye, the young doctor realized he didn't do it out of annoyance. "Listen, JD…not every day is going to be a montage of fluffy moments between Sacred Heart's favorite mentor and protégé, you get me? Work's still work, and I'm still, well…I'm still me. I'm gonna get angry and I'm gonna go on rants, but you…Newbie, you know I give a damn now. You have to. And it won't be awkward if you don't want it to be, alright? 'Cause I…I wouldn't like that either. And I know this is going to sound _insane_, but seeing as how I'm already sharing a hell of a lot more than I ever imagined, well…here it is: I think I'm sorta…sorta _glad_ you remembered there, Newbie. So no, this won't be awkward. Not if you don't want it to be."

JD swallowed, praying to God a thousand times over that he wasn't off in yet another fantasy. He blinked several times, testing this theory out, but when he opened his eyes after the eighth or so blink to find Perry simply staring at him, eyebrows slightly furrowed, JD couldn't help but smile, his shoulders finally easing as he did so. "No, I _definitely_ don't want it to be awkward. And…and I know you care, Dr. Cox. I've always known…"

Perry rolled his eyes at this comment, but there was definitely a trace of humor in his expression as he did so. It just made JD smile wider. "So thanks, Dr. Cox. I…thank you."

Perry removed his hands from JD's shoulders then, the anxiety from awaiting his response melting in the process. "Any time, kid. _Not_ to say you should go and get yourself hypnotized again, but you get me."

JD giggled. "I get you. Oh! I just remembered: I was unpacking my duffel bag earlier this week, and I found a stuffed bear and a, uh…a giraffe. Are they…are they mine?"

Perry would've kicked himself for having been so careless as to having personally packed evidence right into Newbie's bag, but with everything that had happened tonight, it just didn't seem to bother him. "Yeah, they're yours." A mischievous grin came over Perry then, to which JD couldn't help but ask what.

"Do you remember their names?"

"They have names?"

Dr. Cox had to laugh. "Coco and George, apparently. Or at least, that's what you told me you named them."

JD's face was now a fiery red, causing the older man to laugh a little more. "Don't worry about it, kid. But yeah, feel free to keep them."

"What would _I_ do with them?"

"Oh, c'mon, Newbie. I've been in your and Milk Dud's apartment before, remember? I've seen that stuffed dog, not to mention your 'horse with a sword on his head.' I'm sure your two new friends can find someplace to make themselves comfortable."

Just a few months ago, JD would've found that mini rant insulting, but now? Maybe a little embarrassing, but that was it.

It was then that a sudden yawn escaped JD, causing him to realize how tired he really was. He looked to the clock, surprised to see that he had been there for a full two hours.

"You can spend the night here," Perry cut in after following JD's tired gaze to the clock.

"I...you sure?"

"Newbie…you just spent an entire week here. Hell, even when you _weren't_ hypnotized, you spent the night here, remember?"

JD nodded, another yawn escaping him in the process. "Guess so…"

A mere two minutes later and Dr. Cox was back with a blanket and pillow. JD took both gratefully, stretching out on the couch with yet another yawn. "Thanks, Dr. Cox."

"No problem, kid."

"Mmm…I hope I have another car ride dream tonight."

Dr. Cox, who had, had his mouth open to say goodnight, stopped abruptly. "What was that, Newbie?"

JD, who was now already half asleep, responded drowsily. "I had a dream earlier this week. We were on a car ride and it…it had magical powers…"

Perry bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. He stopped, however, when he again peered down at his protégé. The image of him laying there so peacefully and carefree…he couldn't believe that he had ever once questioned that the five-year-old JD he took care of was different from when JD had really been five years old. They were so undeniably and unmistakably one in the same. "Night, Newbie," Dr. Cox whispered softly.

"Mmm…'Night, Dr. Cox."

Perry turned for his room, an air of peace around him so strong and so present; almost as if he was floating. Yes, things would go back to being a little crazy. And yes, he was still Perry Cox, but right now, he was happy. And why wouldn't he be? His whole family was safe inside of the apartment. Jordan, Jack and yes…even JD.

_**A/N: **__I can't _believe _this story is finished. I'm going to miss working on it, but I do have other works in the making, so let's hope that'll help fill the void. lol Anyway, guys, I had such a fun time writing this story, I really did. And once again: Thank you so much for all of your encouragement, and I really hope you enjoyed the ending to this little saga. Until next time!_


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